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“This badge is bigger than every manager,” the new Forest boss stated at his unveiling as Nottingham Forest’s head coach, wearing a training kit with his initials. Subsequently, corrected himself. Actually, there was one manager who was probably as important as the crest – everyone recognizes who that was.”} Then came, an impression of the legendary manager, an attempt at that distinctive accent. Lad, well done,’” he said, reminiscing about his time as a youth player at the City Ground, the period he spent strolling down the Trent, with Del Boy, whizzing past him and his manager’s voice invariably within hearing range.

The coach shares a anecdote of how, as a youth player, he and a couple of mates tended the manager's garden at his residence in the area. Our weekly wage was minimal and he paid you a ten pounds to do his lawn. So we actually thought: ‘This is decent.’ He’d prepare food for you and ensure you were well looked after. It was quite enjoyable, not too much gardening.”

For Dyche, this moment has been a years in the planning. He resides in the area and has a affection for the club. In recent years, he and his longstanding coach Ian Woan, who was part of the Forest side the previous occasion they were in Europe, in 1995‑96, have sometimes visited the West Bridgford cafe where club icons such as a former player, Colin Barrett and Garry Birtles meet every Thursday to talk old and new tales. He will have to skip it this time to prepare for the arrival of the Portuguese side, undefeated this campaign, in the European tournament on Thursday evening.

I can't wait to meeting the club legends,” remarked the manager, who replaced Ange Postecoglou to become the team's third manager of the season. “They will give me a bit of ear-holing if I don’t do too well, so I must secure some games for them. Those fellows mean a lot to me. A lot of supporters recognise the history of this club. I’ve got my own and now I’ve got a chance to reshape my own story, I suppose, as manager.”

The new boss oversaw Forest practice for the first time on this week, three days after Postecoglou watched a three-nil at home loss by Chelsea that placed the club in the Premier League drop zone. the club captain, who came aged eight, acknowledged these are just the start but he and his staff have alleviated some of the negativity.

His staff features one more club icon in Steve Stone, as well as Billy Mercer and Tony Loughlan, who featured for the club. In my view a massive strength of this club is fostering the bond between the supporters, squad and coach and, frankly, the recent period we lacked a good atmosphere around here,” the captain said. Dyche and his assistants have brought that sense of vitality and energy.”

He made clear he doesn't understand the club like the inside out” given his most recent encounter at Forest has been as an rival manager, but he believes he has a broader understanding of the place and expectations. The house rules have been set. I allowed the players wear light-colored footwear, for heaven's sake,” Dyche said. “I’ll have my ex-players caning me on WhatsApp. But they’re not allowed to wear neck warmers or hats … I had to do a deal somewhere.”

The team have been defeated in their past four fixtures and not won since the start of the season. Dyche said the proprietor, Evangelos Marinakis, recognised the significance of steadying things. Dyche faced the wealthy individual in the European competition with Burnley, when his side were beaten in a qualifier against the Greek side in 2018. Following the initial match he voiced anger at club officials, including Marinakis, confronting the officials at half-time in Piraeus. “We had a bit of a giggle,” Dyche recalled.

One aspect of his appeal is his image for building teams with solid foundations, relevant for a team without a shutout in many games. “I’ve been put in many boxes, I’m not bothered,” he said. I don't avoid behind what’s successful. It’s no badge of honour to me. In the past people were going: ‘Why do you depend on dead balls?’ Now they’re in vogue. Tight trousers, wide-leg pants, slim fits, bell-bottoms … my child hammers me for whatever jeans I wear. Apparently on online platforms even I got some criticism for my trainers walking into practice [on Tuesday] … couldn’t believe that. Tom Ford [trainers] but, anyway, prefer not to bring it up it.”

The manager is proud that his formative years were at the club but thinks that should not mean he or his staff are evaluated differently. “There’s no shortcut with the fans, but we are committed, that’s one thing I don’t think can ever be questioned,” he said. My only aspiration was putting on the jersey, but I never got to achieve it. Stoney and Woany succeeded, Billy Mercer played as a loan goalkeeper, Tony Loughlan featured and scored a strike. I was the only one who didn’t and they keep reminding me of that.

“In my case to have that connection of it is a big thing for me personally. But it doesn't grant me a special privilege, believe me. The supporters expect me to win. If I’m not winning, the crowd are going to criticize me because that’s the way supporters behave and I’ve got no problem with that because it's the truth. I was at the club as a youth and didn't get to wear the kit, the emblem. Now, currently, I’m sitting with it wearing it.”