Sam Allardyce is often remembered as a straight-talking, old-school manager, but long before modern trends took hold he was regarded as one of English football’s great innovators.
Years ahead of his time, Allardyce drew inspiration from American sport and embraced sports science when it was still viewed with scepticism in England.
Those ideas left a lasting impact on players who later moved into coaching themselves – including Wayne Rooney.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show podcast, the former England and Manchester United captain explained how working under Allardyce at Everton between 2017 and 2018 shaped his early thinking as a coach.
“I was older by then and I knew I wanted to go into coaching,” Rooney said.
“So I was observing Sam a lot more – how he worked, how he managed people, how everything was done behind the scenes.”
Allardyce’s willingness to challenge football’s traditions can be traced back to his time playing in the United States in the mid-1980s.
“A lot of my ideas came from America when I played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies,” he explained.
“I spent time watching NFL teams in pre-season – their staff, their facilities, how everything was organised."
"It had a huge influence on me.”
By the time Allardyce stepped into management, experimentation had become central to his philosophy.
“I was always trying something different,” he said.
“Especially in the lower divisions, where I could test ideas and see what worked.”
Allardyce’s most influential spell came at Bolton Wanderers, where he was manager from 1999 to 2007.
There, he became one of the first English coaches to fully integrate sports science, data analysis, nutrition and recovery programmes.
“I wanted staff who would find things football wasn’t doing yet,” he said.
“Each department was given responsibility to innovate – to ask questions and push boundaries.”
That approach led to groundbreaking changes, from tailored nutrition plans to ice baths and cryotherapy – with Bolton installing the first cryotherapy unit in English football.
Both Allardyce and Rooney stressed that success depends on unity between players and staff, not just those on the pitch.
Rooney recalled a gesture from his time as England captain that underlined that belief.
“At the end of one year, I paid for all the England staff to go to Las Vegas,” he said.
“Things like that make a massive difference. Players recognising staff really matters.”
Allardyce echoed the sentiment, describing staff as the “team behind the team”.
“They weren’t on big money, but they were crucial,” he said.
“Generosity from players went a long way.”
He singled out player liaison officers as particularly vital figures.
“They handled everything – housing, bank accounts, family issues,” he said.
“They were the ones picking me up from the airport at midnight. Their role was massive.”
Allardyce also reflected on how management has changed off the pitch, particularly when it comes to dealing with club owners.
“These days you don’t speak to owners directly – you speak to their employees,” he said.
He contrasted that with his time at Crystal Palace, recalling a fiery exchange with owner Steve Parish after a relegation-threatening defeat.
“He came into my office shouting, so I told him to go and tell the players exactly how he felt,” Allardyce said.
“It was a brilliant 20 minutes. I wish it had been recorded.”
Rooney, who has managed Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle under overseas ownership, admitted that distance can make relationships harder.
“You can speak on the phone, but you miss that passion,” he said.
“When owners truly feel the club, you feel it too – and that matters.”
Together, their reflections paint a different picture of Allardyce: not just a pragmatist, but a pioneer whose ideas helped shape the modern English game.
