‘I joined Salford, initially on loan, from Derby U21s – I may be the only manager who’s ever gone out on loan! I loved the history and where the club came from’: Football League boss recalls bizarre managerial move in 2021

SALFORD, ENGLAND - JULY 31: Salford City manager Gary Bowyer during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Salford City and Lincoln City at The Peninsula Stadium on July 31, 2021 in Salford, England. (Photo by Chris Vaughan - CameraSport via Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Football League manager Gary Bowyer has shared the story about being appointed Salford City boss after a loan deal was struck with Derby County in 2021.

Bowyer is currently in charge of Burton Albion, having previously managed Blackburn, Blackpool, Bradford, Salford and Dundee. The Englishman left Bradford in February 2020 and became the coach of the Derby County U21s side a few months later, but in March 2021 Salford signed him on loan until the end of the 2020/21 season.

Salford paid no fee to Derby to bring Bowyer in, but did cover his wages as part of the loan agreement. While at Moor Lane, he worked directly with the famous Class of '92 from Manchester United, in what proved a bizarre set of circumstances.

EFL manager Gary Bowyer recalls being loaned as a manager

SALFORD, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 16: Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs Co-owners of Salford City watch from the stands of the Sky Bet League Two match between Salford City and Barrow at Moor Lane on February 16, 2021 in Salford, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

The Class of '92 watch on at Salford (Image credit: Getty Images)

"It was completely different, as you can imagine. I was fortunate to move there, initially on loan, from Derby Under-21s," Gary Bowyer exclusively tells FourFourTwo. "I may be the only manager who’s ever gone out on loan! We had a good go at getting into the play-offs, missing out on the final day. My line manager was Gary Neville, so I’d chat to him regularly, and occasionally with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes too. I loved the history and where the club came from."

He impressed in his eight games in charge, almost earning a play-off spot, and was appointed by Salford on a full-time basis at the end of the campaign. Bowyer, though, admits that he didn't always have his sights set on management, despite moving into coaching after having to retire from playing at 25.

BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Gary Bowyer manager of Blackpool inspects the pitch prior to the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool at Ewood Park on January 28, 2017 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Bowyer managed at Blackburn (Image credit: Getty Images)

"I never set myself that target," Bowyer tells FourFourTwo. "I found myself in a situation at Blackburn where I was asked to take charge of the team. It was only supposed to be for the one game, away at Barnsley; we won 3-1, so that extended for a period.

"Later on I was made caretaker again – I think I was the fifth boss in a season of chaos – and once I’d led them to the end of the campaign, I’d got the bug for it. I’m grateful to Anuradha Desai for giving me a chance to be a full-time manager."

He admits that stepping into the permenant manager's role at Blackburn in May 2013 taught him "a hell of a lot", not least because he had to work with the Venky's.

"I learned a huge amount about Indian culture, which was really interesting," Bowyer adds. "I liked working closely with the board, learning about the business, contract negotiations and player agents. Ultimately you’re learning about people – and about yourself. I made mistakes at Blackburn, but the important thing is to learn from them. I had a wonderful opportunity and it stood me in very good stead for the rest of my career."

STOCKPORT, ENGLAND - MARCH 29: Gary Bowyer, manager of Burton Albion, during the Sky Bet League One match between Stockport County FC and Burton Albion FC at on March 29, 2025 in Stockport, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Bowyer is now the Burton manager (Image credit: Getty Images)

After leaving Blackburn, Bowyer took over at Blackpool, leading them to promotion in League Two via the play-offs at the end of the 2016/17 season. He managed that in his first season, all while fans were protesting the Oystons' ownership.

"It was total chaos," Bowyer recalls. "Blackpool had been through back-to-back relegations and the supporters were boycotting. I can’t give the staff and players enough praise for that first year. We didn’t allow an environment for excuses; we assembled a good set of lads and were somehow able to make memories to last a lifetime. I still keep in touch with plenty of them. Leading your team out at Wembley is one of the highest points of your career – to win just topped the day off."

Upon departing Dundee in May 2023, Bowyer spent 18 months out of management before finally stepping back in at Burton in December, though the Brewers were 23rd in League One and staring down the barrel of relegation. While they're still in the relegation zone, Bowyer has certainly ensured Burton have an opportunity to survive in the final few weeks of the season.

"It was a fantastic opportunity," Bowyer says. "I’d been out of work since I won the Scottish Championship with Dundee. I’d missed out on a couple of jobs in League One, turned down several offers in England and abroad, then I got this chance and, after speaking to the people here, I saw it was exciting. I already knew one or two, which made it much easier to settle in. Everybody’s been working together to try to get us out of the bottom four.

"Many managers are out of work and, mentally, it’s difficult. The day-to-day routine, dealing with players, being out on the grass – everything you worked for – is suddenly taken away. You have to be very disciplined. Luckily, people allowed me to watch their teams train, and I went on university courses through the LMA and PFA. BBC Radio Lancashire also looked after me so well with games to co-commentate on. We have to keep checking in on managers out of work, because it’s a lonely place."

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Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future. 

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