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Although Youri Djorkaeff spent only two years at Bolton Wanderers, he regards his time in Lancashire as one of the most memorable spells of his distinguished career.

The France World Cup winner was a key figure in Sam Allardyce’s side, a team that went against expectations and shattered stereotypes to become one of the Premier League’s most entertaining outfits of that period.

Yet, as the 58-year-old looks back on his playing days two decades later, there is still one major regret he carries from his time with the Trotters.

Djorkaeff joined Bolton in February 2002 from German club Kaiserslautern, and his home debut remains firmly etched in his memory.

“Maybe my first home game against Blackburn,” Djorkaeff told FourFourTwo when asked to name his most memorable match for the club. “By half-time I didn’t know how my legs or my head were still holding up. Madness!”

Rod Wallace and Matt Jansen scored one each in the 1-1 draw at the Reebok Stadium, while Rovers striker Andrew Cole was sent off after only 19 minutes. The fierce nature of that Lancashire derby proved to be the perfect introduction for Djorkaeff to the physical demands of the Premier League.

“I took several rough challenges while the referee kept on playing advantage,” he continued. “My whole body ached. Gudni Bergsson, the captain, told me, ‘Don’t worry, it’s normal. Say nothing, don’t make a fuss.’”

“I asked, ‘But if they kick me, can I kick back?’ He said yes, but quietly. The second half was just bam-bam-bam. After that, I never had any more problems.”

The peak of Djorkaeff’s two-and-a-half-year spell at Bolton came in 2004, when the team reached the League Cup final and took on Steve McClaren’s Middlesbrough.

“It was unexpected for Bolton to reach the Carling Cup final,” Djorkaeff recalled. “In one of the earlier rounds, we beat Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield – incredible.”

But his recollection of that run to the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is overshadowed by the 2-1 defeat.

“That’s why it still frustrates me that we lost the final against Middlesbrough, even after all this time. I was angry because we were so close. I remember telling the team that we still had one more step to take, but we went in with the feeling that just getting there was already enough.

“Still, I keep the positives – nobody expected us to reach a final and play in Europe within just three years. Bolton is a special club – a part of Djorkaeff stayed there.”