'Close to my heart' - Ex-Bolton Wanderers figure makes Blackpool admission as he provides job search update amid Cardiff City links
Ian Evatt opens up on what Blackpool means to him following his return for the recent legends game - as well as providing an update on his current job search after departing Bolton Wanderers earlier this year.
Former Blackpool defender Ian Evatt states he will always have special memories from his time at Bloomfield Road - which he believes was the best period of his career to date.
The 43-year-old was with the Seasiders permanently between 2007 and 2013 - after initially joining the club on loan from QPR in 2006.
During his time in Tangerine, the Derby County youth product made 254 appearances in Tangerine, and won promotion from both League One (2007) and the Championship (2010).
Today (May 22) marks 15 years since Blackpool secured their place in the Premier League, with a 3-2 victory over Cardiff City at Wembley.
A number of players from that squad reunited at the weekend for a legends game at Bloomfield Road - which provided Evatt the opportunity to reflect on his time on the Fylde Coast.
“It’s really special - the minute you walk into this building, the emotions and the feeling comes back,” he said.
“Even though we’ve not seen each other for so long, put us in a room together and it’s like we’ve never been apart. The banter just started flying straight away, we had a really special bond here; something I’ve never seen replicated since, whether that’s playing or being a manager.
“Those times are hard to recreate, but you appreciate them. We appreciated them at the time, but I think everyone knows how special that group of players were.
“We had some amazing memories here, and this football club will always be close to my heart. They’ve always given me a warm welcome, this club is very dear to me. I spent the greatest period of my life in this shirt, this town, these colours - hopefully I can come back again soon.”
Premier League regrets
Evatt admits there’s still a frustration that Blackpool could only manage one season in the top flight, but still looks back fondly on what they were able to achieve as a group.
“A few of us were part of that 2007 who transitioned into the 2010 team,” he added.
“If you look at the Premier League as it is today, and the amount of points we got, we were unlucky not to stay there, and unlucky not to go up the following season. We only have ourselves to blame, because we should’ve got a lot more points.
“Everyone knows and appreciates how special those times were. To get 39 points as a group of ‘misfits,’ as Ollie used to call us, is amazing.
“We came off the pitch (in the legends game) and said we were a really good team, and are still a really good team. We became everyone’s second-favourite team, which speaks volumes for how we went about our business.”
Management latest amid links with Cardiff City
Evatt made the transition over to management back in 2018, after taking at Chesterfield Town on an interim basis.
Since then, he’s spent time with both Barrow and Bolton Wanderers, winning the National League with the former and the EFL Trophy with the latter.
The 43-year-old’s stint at the Toughsheet Community Stadium also saw him win promotion to League One in 2021, as well as finishing in the third tier play-offs in both 2023 and 2024.
Evatt’s time with the Trotters came to an end back in January, and since then he’s been linked with several roles, with the most recent being the vacant job at recently-relegated Cardiff City.
“It’s the first time in 27 years that I’ve had a break from football, I went straight from playing to being a manager,” he stated.
“I’ve been a manager for seven years, and at one club for five - that takes some doing in modern day football.
“I was ready for a rest, and I’ve really enjoyed the break, but I’m starting to get itchy feet again and thinking about what comes next.
“I’ve had some offers that I’ve turned down, and didn’t feel was quite right for me at that moment, but there’s things happening all of the time. I’ll wait and be patient, and try to pick the right option.
“When you’re in the game, it’s 24 hours a day and it’s hard to gain perspective on what you’ve achieved, and also to grow and improve - and spend time thinking about what went well and what didn’t go well.
“I’ve had a lot of success in seven years: I’ve had promotions, I’ve won trophies, I think I’ve got the highest win ratio of any Bolton manager post-war, so I’ve done a lot so far, but the last few months have been helpful for me and I’m ready to go again.”
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