Nolan has 'loved' his return to management and he had 'no doubt' Cobblers would stay up

Three weeks after Jon Brady walked away, Nolan was appointed by chairman Kelvin Thomas on the back of successive heavy defeats, 3-0 at Rotherham and 5-0 by Charlton, and his first game on Boxing Day ended in a 4-1 loss at Reading.

But Cobblers earned Nolan’s first point at Shrewsbury and then a first win at Burton the following week and since then they have gone from strength to strength, mathematically securing safety on Easter Monday.

Speaking about his decision to take the job on the EFL Podcast, Nolan said: “It was a really good project in my eyes. It’s close to home, so I get to home every night to my family and eat with my kids, which was a really important factor after being away for four and a half years.

“It’s a great club. It’s very much a community-based club, and a really lovely stadium with the new stand, and off the field we’re doing lots of stuff. Training ground-wise, we’re just trying to make that better to make that a good working environment for the lads and everything else. I'm trying to push the boundaries with the owners to see what I can get out of them, but without being too excessive.

"I understand where we're at and what we need to do to build the club and be successful. I think it's a good match for both parties and Kelvin (Thomas) has been great. He's really supportive and it's been a great start and I'm pleased to have the opportunity and hopefully I'll repay them over the next few years.

"I love the fact I'm back on the touchline and making all of the decisions. It gets you back to that feeling as a player – those butterflies. I enjoy being part of it week in, week out and I'm loving the buzz of it.”

Following confirmation of survival on Monday, Nolan said: "I had no doubt that we would stay up. That was my thing when I came in and I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't think we could do it.

"I'm pleased we've achieved our main goal with a couple of games to spare and we can now sit here and enjoy the last two weeks. I've loved being back in as the number one."