Paul Ince kept Macclesfield in the Football League by dragging the players out of the local cafe and changing their eating habits.

Then he guided the ambitious MK Dons to promotion from the bottom tier after using the services of a sports scientist.

Now Ince is aiming to use his modern methods on diet and fitness to steer Blackburn to a higher level after replacing Mark Hughes as manager.

Ray Mathias, who will remain his assistant after following him from stadium:MK, has given an insight into what makes the former England midfielder tick.

"Paul adjusted well to the job he had to do with Macclesfield and it was the same at MK Dons," he told BBC Radio Lancashire. "The players used to go to the local cafe at Macclesfield to get beans on toast, a pie or whatever.

"Then the diet came in and it was exactly the same at MK Dons, where we had a sports scientist. Of course it was not the same as Blackburn and the other top clubs but it won't be anything new in a sense."