If we were winning, I was the ball boy who had to throw the ball away from the opposition and slow the game down. If we were losing, then I had to get the ball back very, very quickly.

At home, I saw the pressure that was on my dad. In the early days of his management career, money was tight. Every game was the be-all and end-all for the family in terms of the finances. It was tough.

But we’re lucky: football runs in our blood. A lot of our family are in the game, whether as scouts, players, managers at non-league level and league level. That means you have a support network behind you that really understands what it’s like. One that knows about the mental trials and tribulations you have to go through.

As a player, I experienced my share of those.

“Players want to understand the ‘why’. That becomes a very important part of the job. Half the time, it’s like a sales pitch”

I was small. In an era when it was fashionable to play a lot of tall players and the game was very direct, it was difficult. I ended up dropping down the levels to become a regular.

On top of that, around 300 of the 500 games I played were for my dad, at Yeovil Town and Bristol City (above). That obviously comes with its own questions of nepotism.

It wasn’t always easy, but it builds resilience. Creates character. And it stood me in good stead for the inevitable changes and pressure that are part of being a manager.

I was in my mid-20s when I started to think about following in my dad’s footsteps. I had a 10-year plan to evolve as a coach and finish my playing career at the age of 35, with my Pro-Licence and all the badges ready to go.

I’d spend almost every international break travelling around to different clubs. I got into Barcelona, went out to Russia and Latvia – it was interesting to see the way different nations and cultures nurture their young players.