Holloway began his career in football management in 1996 at hometown club Bristol Rovers.

He achieved promotion to the Premier League with Crystal Palace in 2010 and then again with Blackpool in 2013, and took Queens Park Rangers up to the Championship in 2004, all via the play-offs.

His managerial CV also includes Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City and Millwall before a spell at Saturday’s rivals Grimsby ended in 2020, his last role before moving to Swindon.

“There’s not many people who have already done it and when you look at the names who have done it, what they’ve had is a passion and belief and enough nous to keep going,” Holloway said.

“I worked out that’s at least 7,000 days [of my life] – there might be three games in a week but it’s not always that and there’s pre-seasons as well which you do.

“When you add up my football career as well as my playing career, that’s at least 14,000 days. It’s an awful large part of your life.”