Bolton Wanderers coach David Lee has said he would love the opportunity to manage the club one day, report The Bolton News.

The 51-year-old has been at the club in different capacities for a combined total of 16 years, and has a connection to all parts of the club, from the players to the fans and the town itself.

Lee first joined Bolton as a player in 1992, he played 147 times in five years at the club, scoring 16 goals before returning 11 years later to take up a position as assistant academy director.

With uncertainty recently surrounding the future of the club, there is doubt that the players or manager currently contracted at the club will stay on next season. Also, Bolton are having to prepare for life in League One with severe financial constraints.

That could mean that it is left to staff like David Lee to take on big responsibilities, such as the manager's position.

Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester’s The Wanderer podcast, Lee said: "Bolton Wanderers is my life and I love the club from top to bottom.

"If someone threw me a lifeline and asked ‘David Lee would you like to be the Bolton Wanderers manager?’ I think you know the answer. I would love the opportunity.”

The situation at Bolton is naturally a tough one for people like Lee to take. In his position in the academy he has nurtured numerous players over the years, only to see many of them depart due to financial difficulties and uncertainty.

“We are in a desperate situation at this moment in time and it breaks my heart, and I know it breaks a lot of people’s hearts, to see where we are,” he added.

“At the moment we are little bit embarrassed to be where we are.

“We are in that position but hopefully the powers that be can get us back up there again and how everybody remembers Bolton Wanderers.”

The Verdict

Club servants like David Lee are what football - and Bolton - is all about. His dedication to the club has to be admired and he has done a great job at the club given the circumstances, helping to bring though Zac Clough, Josh Vela and most recently Luca Connell.

It would be great to give something back to him and it would be a honour for him to take up the manager's position, and that is what Bolton should be all about. He would be able to stabilise the club and bring it back to the fans, which is what they deserve after years of turmoil.