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“This badge is more significant than any manager,” Sean Dyche stated at his unveiling as Nottingham Forest’s manager, wearing a training kit with his initials. Subsequently, amended his statement. “Well, there was one manager who was probably as big as the crest – everyone recognizes who that was.”} Following that, an impression of Brian Clough, a crack at that distinctive drawl. Lad, well done,’” he recalled, reminiscing about his three years as a youth player at the club's stadium, the period he spent strolling down the river, with Clough’s labrador, whizzing past him and his manager’s voice always within hearing range.

Dyche tells a anecdote of how, as a youth player, he and a few others looked after Clough’s yard at his home in the area. “We were on £28.50 a week and he paid you a tenner to do his garden. So we really thought: ‘This is decent.’ He’d cook for you and make sure you were cared for. It was quite fun, not too much yard work.”

In his case, this moment has been a years in the making. He lives in the area and has a affection for the club. In lately, he and his longstanding assistant his deputy, who was a member of the Forest side the previous occasion they were in Europe, in 1995‑96, have occasionally visited the local coffee shop where club icons such as Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and Garry Birtles meet every Thursday to discuss stories from past and present. He will have to give it a miss this time to get ready for the visit of Porto, undefeated this campaign, in the Europa League on this week.

I can't wait to seeing the miracle men,” remarked Dyche, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou to become Forest’s latest head coach of the term. I'll get an earful if I don’t do too well, so I better secure some matches for them. Those fellows are important to me. A great deal of Forest fans appreciate the legacy of this institution. I have personal ties and now I’ve got a chance to reinvent my personal history, I guess, as coach.”

Dyche oversaw the team practice for the initial session on Tuesday, a short while after his predecessor oversaw a three-nil home defeat by Chelsea that left the side in the top division relegation zone. Ryan Yates, who joined as a child, admitted these are early days but Dyche and his staff have alleviated some of the negativity.

Dyche’s staff features one more Forest hero in Steve Stone, as well as Billy Mercer and Tony Loughlan, both of whom featured for the club. “I feel like a massive strength of this organization is fostering the bond between the fans, squad and manager and, let’s be honest, the last few weeks we haven’t had a positive atmosphere around here,” Yates said. Dyche and his assistants have introduced that sense of vitality and energy.”

He made clear he does not “know the club like the back of my hand” given his latest experience at the club has been as an opposition manager, but he thinks he has a wider grasp of the environment and demands. The house rules have been laid. “I’ve let them wear light-colored footwear, for goodness sake,” Dyche said. “I’ll have my ex-players criticizing me on WhatsApp. But they’re forbidden to wear neck warmers or hats … I had to do a deal somewhere.”

Forest have been defeated in their past four fixtures and not won since the start of the season. The coach mentioned the owner, the Greek businessman, recognised the significance of stabilising the situation. Dyche encountered the Greek billionaire in the Europa League with his former club, when his side lost in a playoff against Olympiakos in recent years. After the first leg he expressed anger at Olympiakos dignitaries, including Marinakis, approaching the officials at half-time in Piraeus. We laughed about it,” Dyche recalled.

One aspect of Dyche’s appeal is his reputation for building sides with solid bases, relevant for a team without a shutout in 20 matches. “I’ve been put in many boxes, I’m not bothered,” he said. “I’ve never tried to hide behind what’s successful. It’s no point of pride to me. In the past people were saying: ‘Why do you rely on set pieces?’ Now they’re in vogue. Skinny jeans, wide-leg pants, slim fits, flared jeans … my daughter hammers me for any trousers I wear. Apparently on social media even I got some criticism for my trainers arriving at training [on Tuesday] … was surprised by that. A brand [trainers] but, regardless, don’t like to mention it.”

Dyche is proud that his early career were at Forest but believes that should not mean he or his staff are judged in a special way. No easy path with the fans, but we are committed, that’s one thing I don’t think can ever be doubted,” he remarked. “All I dreamt of was putting on the jersey, but I didn't manage to do it. Stoney and Woany did, Billy did as a temporary keeper, Tony featured and netted a goal. I was the sole person who failed to and they constantly tell me of that.

“For me to have that connection of it is a big thing for me individually. But it doesn't grant me a divine right, trust me. The supporters want me to win. If I’m failing, the crowd are going to come at me because how fans work and I’ve got no issue with that because that’s the reality. I was here as a kid and never wore the kit, the badge. Now, now, I’m here with it wearing it.”