Sam Wallace: Big time beckons for Big Sam, the forward thinker

A moustache, bluff northern ways and a career as a no-nonsense centre-back are the kind of characteristics that in English football usually add up to an honest but inglorious management career. Sam Allardyce, however, has proved himself the exception to the rule, and his decision to resign yesterday with his team fifth in the Premiership is just another sign that he is no average English manager.

At 52, Allardyce has long since lost the moustache, although the accent still belongs to Phoenix Nights (despite the fact that he was born in Dudley) and he has always been a lot cannier than a brief glance at the basics would suggest. Any manager finishing eighth, sixth and eighth in the Premiership with a Bolton team run on a shoestring would have to be. Look closely at Allardyce's methods and there is a lot more Jose Mourinho than Ron Knee about Horwich's Special One.

Allardyce always wanted to be the England manager and he was never hesitant in telling people so. He had grown too big for Bolton, the club he had served twice as a player, and as a manager since October 1999. Understandably, he believed that the Uefa Cup place achieved in 2005 was the limit of their abilities. "Big Sam" wanted out, but no one, it seemed, wanted him.

For the last few years, however, the whiff of scandal - without evidence - has accompanied him and never more so than when his son Craig, formerly a football agent, was filmed undercover by the BBC Panorama team investigating corruption in football.

Panorama only really proved that Allardyce had a son with a big mouth, capable of embarrassing his father. Craig tearfully apologised and was dispatched to Spain for a new career in property development.

For the England post, Allardyce was understood to have given by far the most impressive presentation. But the four men at the Football Association still did not give him the job.

Why not? He has amassed a considerable body of work at Bolton and a hugely effective backroom staff. He has a strong sports medicine and science department, including two Chinese therapists and three performance analysts. He may look like a manager from the sepia age but Allardyce is a user of technology who was something of a visionary as a player. Disillusioned with poor pay at Bolton, he moved to Sunderland, Millwall, Coventry, Huddersfield and even the Tampa Bay Rowdies to get the most out of his admittedly limited talents.

He has brought some famous players to Bolton, including Ivan Campo, El-Hadji Diouf, Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff and Fernando Hierro, and he would not rule out a move abroad, especially to Spain where he has a house. At Bolton he developed the strategy of bringing in players cheaply on short-term contracts, often those judged to be too much trouble at bigger clubs. It has paid off handsomely but is a risky business to try every year. Other Premiership clubs are adopting it too.

In truth, Allardyce was never likely to get the funds he sought, despite buying Nicolas Anelka last summer for £8m. The club have debts of around £40m and are kept afloat by the businessman Eddie Davies, who was born locally but is based in the Isle of Man. His investment has allowed them to maintain their Premiership status but it seems Allardyce's ambition has exceeded that of the club.

A complicated character, Allardyce has made no secret of his dislike of Arsène Wenger and complains about his refusal to honour trivial English traditions like the post-match handshake, although he draws his squad from an equally diverse range of nationalities as the Arsenal manager. It was typical that his last Bolton game was a tough 2-2 draw - both goals from set-pieces - with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where only four other sides have taken a point this season.

Allardyce in charge of a big club with a proper budget would be an interesting experiment. Could he do it without resorting to the robust underdogs' game of direct football? If any English manager deserves a chance at the big time, it is him. He has the track record and the sharp suits. Now all he needs is the budget.

Life of a Wanderer: Allardyce's career so far

1954 Born 19 October.

1971 Joins Bolton as a central defender.

1978 Wins Second Division - his only playing honour.

1980 Joins Sunderland.

1981 Joins Millwall.

1983 Joins Coventry after spell with Tampa Ray Rowdies.

1984 Joins Huddersfield.

1985 Returns to Bolton.

1986 Joins Preston.

1989 Joins West Bromwich as player-coach.

1992 Returns to Preston as player-coach.

1993 Takes first managerial post, at Limerick.

1994 Appointed Blackpool manager.

1997 Takes over at Notts County.

1998 Notts County win Third Division.

1999 Appointed by Bolton.

2001 Bolton win promotion to Premiership after beating Preston in play-off final.

2004 Lose to Middlesbrough in Carling Cup final; finish eighth in Premiership.

2005 Finish sixth in Premiership to qualify for Uefa Cup for first time.

29 April 2007 Resigns as Bolton manager.