Coyle helped to sell Bolton to Freedman

New Bolton manager Dougie Freedman has revealed a conversation with predecessor Owen Coyle was an important factor in him electing to take the Reebok Stadium post.

Freedman left a Crystal Palace side flying high in fourth place in the npower Championship last week to take the reins at Wanderers, where fellow Scot Coyle was sacked having taken 11 points from the first 10 matches of the campaign on the back of May's relegation from the Barclays Premier League.

But Coyle clearly harbours no ill-feeling towards the club he steered to a 2011 FA Cup semi-final, having given his compatriot a glowing assessment. Freedman said: "Owen's a good man, I've known him for many years and he spoke very highly of the club."

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