Coyle Jr is currently working at Nottingham Forest. He initially joined in an Academy role before becoming loans manager last summer.
The 29-year-old previously managed the England amputee team and also had a spell working with his dad at Queen’s Park in Scotland.
“I would watch training at Bolton,” he told The Athletic. “I grew up in that space where there was pressure and expectation, where everything was about that fight for three points. Being in that environment always appealed to me.”
Coyle Jr now has a UEFA Pro License and oversees the progress of Forest’s loan players all over the globe.
“Every day is different,” he said. “I have been all over the world catching up with different players, speaking to partner clubs, speaking agents and the players’ families too. The idea is to ensure everyone is aligned with where we are going and what is happening.”
“I can support our players who are out on loan but, during pre-season and in January, I have the opportunity to work with them on the grass as well. I can still keep my hand in on the coaching side,” he added.
Football has always been part of his life and there have been plenty of learning experiences along the way.
One that sticks in Coyle Jr’s mind is when his dad left Burnley to take over at Bolton, where he had previously enjoyed success as a player.
“When he left Burnley to join Bolton, that was a big thing,” he recalled. “The media made a lot of it and I had to weather that, but it probably taught me a thing or two about how to handle those situations, even at such a young age.
“There was social media abuse and, if I am honest, there were probably even a few teachers who were Burnley fans and were not my best pal for a while.
“Whatever the future holds, I would like to think criticism will be like water off a duck’s back because I have already seen that. The experience will serve me well, whether I end up as a coach or in an executive role.”