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Former Wanderers star Henrik Pedersen has revealed the unhappy story behind his exit from the club 12 years ago.
The ex-Denmark international is fondly remembered by Bolton fans for five seasons of service in the Premier League and his popular ‘peacock’ celebration.
But the former striker, now 43, has told how Sam Allardyce reneged on a two-year contract offer shortly before he quit in April 2007, leaving him with the lowest feeling of his footballing career.
Pedersen gave a frank interview to the Lion of Vienna podcast on a range of Wanderers issues but said his exit at Bolton still left him feeling regretful.
“From some great years at Bolton there were about three months which were very, very black, for me,” he said.
“I agreed a new contract with Sam just before the (Manchester) United game away in the last year I was there.
“I sat down, we agreed a two-year deal, shook hands, went to play United on the Saturday and I think we lost 4-0 [It was 4-1].
“I got substituted before half time and on the Monday my agent called to say Allardyce had taken back the offer.
“That took a lot of the respect from me, as a person, and I was very down at that time.”
Allardyce’s shock resignation came just six weeks later and while the town struggled to come to terms with the fact Big Sam had walked out on the verge of a second season of European qualification, Pedersen admits he was not sorry to see him go.
“I was not all that unhappy to see him leave because I was very, very mad at him,” he said.
“For me a deal is a deal and a handshake is a handshake but I remember the words he said when I came back into his office on the Tuesday and asked what was going on, and he said: ‘That’s football.’ “I’ll never forget those words. It was a bad time and even talking about it now I don’t feel good.”
Pedersen was already a Denmark international by the time he arrived at Bolton, making his debut in the 5-0 victory against Leicester City on Wanderers’ Premier League return.
He had been with his hometown club Silkeborg from the age of 15 and played semi-professionally whilst working in an office.
After scoring twice in the Danish Cup final he attracted interest from Germany and, eventually, from Bolton.
“I don’t think they had seen me live – but my agent was the same as Per Frandsen, Bo Hansen and Michael Johansen and I think he sent a DVD over for them to analyse,” he explained.
“I remember finding out. I was at an amusement park in Denmark and had left my phone in the car because it was a family day out and when I came back there was about 20 calls from my agent saying that we’re going to Bolton Monday. That was the first I’d heard.
“We flew over on the Monday and met up with Allardyce and the club, the Reebok at the time, went through the contract Tuesday and signed on the Wednesday.”
After Allardyce picked up Fredi Bobic on a short-term deal, Pedersen went back to Silkeborg on loan to help recover from a groin injury.
He returned to play a major part in Wanderers’ rise from strugglers to four consecutive top-eight finishes, though not always as a striker – the position in which he had made his name.
“I have never been the greatest talent in football but I came a far way with hard work,” he said. “I always tried to do my best and for the team.
“The left-back games were because Ricardo Gardner got injured in the pre-season games in Japan and there was only me and Gary Speed who were left-footed.
“Sam asked me if we wanted to play left-back and I could see I wasn’t going to get many games up front, so between left-back and being on the bench, I said ‘OK’.
“Overall I think it went very well.”
One thing fans will remember of Pedersen’s time at Bolton is a “peacock” goal celebration which became his trademark.
“It all started in 2004, there were quite a few Danish footballers and some friends in Aya Napia on a guys holiday and the European Championships were playing at the local pub,” he recalled.
“I had a friend who was playing in Denmark who was a really bad dancer, with his arms either side, and when Denmark scored we were jumping up and down in the same way. We made a promise to do it the next season, just for fun.
“It just came out of booze, fun and some European football.”
Pedersen left Bolton after making 172 appearances in all competitions and scoring 29 goals but asked Allardyce’s successor, Sammy Lee, if there was a chance of a reprieve before joining Hull City in August 2007.
“Sam had taken the offer back and I went into Sammy to ask if I could get a contract now that he was the manager, but he said ‘no, find something else’ so I had to decide whether to go to Denmark to finish my career or to get a new club in England,” he said.
“Phil Brown had just got to Hull and contacted me. They had new owners and put out a three-year plan in front of me to get promotion.”
Pedersen cut short the final year of his contract on Humberside, joining his wife – then pregnant – back home in Silkeborg.
These days he still keeps an eye out for Wanderers’ results and keeps in touch with friends in the town on social media.
“I follow the results but there are not many games being shown from the Championship in Denmark – maybe one or two a week, usually from the top half or top six,” he said.
“I remember the last game of last year I saw the people on Facebook going crazy on the pitch after the 3-2 win.
“It is sad to follow. Even though it is 10 years ago out there it still has a big place in my heart and it’s hard to see them struggle at the moment.”
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The ex-Denmark international is fondly remembered by Bolton fans for five seasons of service in the Premier League and his popular ‘peacock’ celebration.
But the former striker, now 43, has told how Sam Allardyce reneged on a two-year contract offer shortly before he quit in April 2007, leaving him with the lowest feeling of his footballing career.
Pedersen gave a frank interview to the Lion of Vienna podcast on a range of Wanderers issues but said his exit at Bolton still left him feeling regretful.
“From some great years at Bolton there were about three months which were very, very black, for me,” he said.
“I agreed a new contract with Sam just before the (Manchester) United game away in the last year I was there.
“I sat down, we agreed a two-year deal, shook hands, went to play United on the Saturday and I think we lost 4-0 [It was 4-1].
“I got substituted before half time and on the Monday my agent called to say Allardyce had taken back the offer.
“That took a lot of the respect from me, as a person, and I was very down at that time.”
Allardyce’s shock resignation came just six weeks later and while the town struggled to come to terms with the fact Big Sam had walked out on the verge of a second season of European qualification, Pedersen admits he was not sorry to see him go.
“I was not all that unhappy to see him leave because I was very, very mad at him,” he said.
“For me a deal is a deal and a handshake is a handshake but I remember the words he said when I came back into his office on the Tuesday and asked what was going on, and he said: ‘That’s football.’ “I’ll never forget those words. It was a bad time and even talking about it now I don’t feel good.”
Pedersen was already a Denmark international by the time he arrived at Bolton, making his debut in the 5-0 victory against Leicester City on Wanderers’ Premier League return.
He had been with his hometown club Silkeborg from the age of 15 and played semi-professionally whilst working in an office.
After scoring twice in the Danish Cup final he attracted interest from Germany and, eventually, from Bolton.
“I don’t think they had seen me live – but my agent was the same as Per Frandsen, Bo Hansen and Michael Johansen and I think he sent a DVD over for them to analyse,” he explained.
“I remember finding out. I was at an amusement park in Denmark and had left my phone in the car because it was a family day out and when I came back there was about 20 calls from my agent saying that we’re going to Bolton Monday. That was the first I’d heard.
“We flew over on the Monday and met up with Allardyce and the club, the Reebok at the time, went through the contract Tuesday and signed on the Wednesday.”
After Allardyce picked up Fredi Bobic on a short-term deal, Pedersen went back to Silkeborg on loan to help recover from a groin injury.
He returned to play a major part in Wanderers’ rise from strugglers to four consecutive top-eight finishes, though not always as a striker – the position in which he had made his name.
“I have never been the greatest talent in football but I came a far way with hard work,” he said. “I always tried to do my best and for the team.
“The left-back games were because Ricardo Gardner got injured in the pre-season games in Japan and there was only me and Gary Speed who were left-footed.
“Sam asked me if we wanted to play left-back and I could see I wasn’t going to get many games up front, so between left-back and being on the bench, I said ‘OK’.
“Overall I think it went very well.”
One thing fans will remember of Pedersen’s time at Bolton is a “peacock” goal celebration which became his trademark.
“It all started in 2004, there were quite a few Danish footballers and some friends in Aya Napia on a guys holiday and the European Championships were playing at the local pub,” he recalled.
“I had a friend who was playing in Denmark who was a really bad dancer, with his arms either side, and when Denmark scored we were jumping up and down in the same way. We made a promise to do it the next season, just for fun.
“It just came out of booze, fun and some European football.”
Pedersen left Bolton after making 172 appearances in all competitions and scoring 29 goals but asked Allardyce’s successor, Sammy Lee, if there was a chance of a reprieve before joining Hull City in August 2007.
“Sam had taken the offer back and I went into Sammy to ask if I could get a contract now that he was the manager, but he said ‘no, find something else’ so I had to decide whether to go to Denmark to finish my career or to get a new club in England,” he said.
“Phil Brown had just got to Hull and contacted me. They had new owners and put out a three-year plan in front of me to get promotion.”
Pedersen cut short the final year of his contract on Humberside, joining his wife – then pregnant – back home in Silkeborg.
These days he still keeps an eye out for Wanderers’ results and keeps in touch with friends in the town on social media.
“I follow the results but there are not many games being shown from the Championship in Denmark – maybe one or two a week, usually from the top half or top six,” he said.
“I remember the last game of last year I saw the people on Facebook going crazy on the pitch after the 3-2 win.
“It is sad to follow. Even though it is 10 years ago out there it still has a big place in my heart and it’s hard to see them struggle at the moment.”
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