Ian Evatt believes Ian Holloway is destined for the Premier League, be that with Blackpool or another side.
Seasiders defender backs boss to make the big time
Ian Evatt believes Ian Holloway is destined for the Premier League, be that with Blackpool or another side.
Holloway has led the Seasiders to the Championship play-off final this season, meaning they are now just one game away from a place in the top flight.
His infectious enthusiasm for the game has rubbed off on his players, allowing him to bring the best out of a squad few tipped for promotion at the start of the campaign.
Experienced defender Evatt is one of those to have bought into his footballing philosophy, with the 28-year-old admitting life at Bloomfield Road could not be better.
He credits Holloway with turning things around and believes the bubbly Bristolian would not look out of place pitting his wits against the best in the business.
"It's been crazy, really. The gaffer came in during pre-season and picked the boys up straightaway," said Evatt.
Improved
"When he told us how he wanted to employ a more expansive style of play we looked at him like he was an alien.
"I didn't think we were capable of playing 4-3-3 but things just clicked and I've never seen a team improve so much, right from pre-season to end of the season.
"The gaffer has to take a lot of the credit for that because the boys have responded to him so well.
"He's always been an enthusiastic person and I played under him at QPR.
"Players are only human beings, we have off days.
"Sometimes you come into training not feeling great but you see the gaffer and he just picks you up straightaway.
"He loves his job and he loves us as players. We've done the best we can to repay the faith he has shown in us."
Impressed
Holloway was recently mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Gianfranco Zola at West Ham, and Evatt admits admiring glances from the Premier League must now be accepted.
"He's got every right to be linked with other jobs because of what he has done here," he added.
"It goes for the players as well and it's up to us all to keep impressing everybody like we've been doing all season.
"But Ian Holloway deserves to be a Premier League manager. The knowledge he has of the game and his attention to detail is unbelievable.
"Whether he does it with us or another club in the future, I think he deserves to be a Premier League manager."
