Christie joined third-tier Bolton from Swansea last year, and the Trotters find themselves firmly in the conversation for promotion to the Championship come May.

Flashscore: Is that the main target for the season right now?

Christie: “Yeah, for sure. It’s a big club. Everyone knows the history of Bolton.

“It’s a club with ambitions to get further up the league, and we’re in a good place at the moment to achieve that. We just need to keep going.”

At 33, Christie has seen enough dressing rooms to recognise when something is building. He returned to England after a spell in Wales and has slotted into a side currently sitting in third, eight points off automatic promotion.

“You know, coming from Wales back to England, it’s been good," he said. "It’s good to be back playing more regularly. Obviously, I’d like to have played a few more games and had a longer run, but we’ve got a big team, and it's a good team.

“I haven’t been able to get four or five games on the bounce, but I’ve come in and performed well in a lot of the games. It’s always tough when you’re not playing every week to keep your match sharpness and fitness.

“It’s going to take effort to get where you want to go. The seasons before that, I had two knee injuries, which held me back. That was tough.

“So it’s just good to be back at a good club. Swansea’s a great club, and now I’m at another. I’m really enjoying my time.”

Those knee injuries linger in the subtext. Athletes often talk about resilience, but few speak plainly about how fragile rhythm can be. Christie does both. There is pride in still being there, still pushing for promotion, still contributing -- he registered an assist against Peterborough earlier this season -- but also an awareness that careers don't move on linear paths.

He has already packed a lot into his years, with 30 caps for the Republic of Ireland and a place at the Euros in 2016. Days that still glimmer when prompted.

“It’s amazing for any person who represents their country even just one time. It’s a great feeling. I was able to do that 30 times and was lucky enough to get to the Euros in 2016. That was probably one of the best moments of my career.

“Even some of the games along the way to qualify - against Germany and the play-offs against Bosnia and Herzegovina - we had some really big results. The victory over Italy to get through to the round of 16. We weren’t far off from beating France. A few factors played into their hands - they had a longer rest, we played a few days before, and it was really hot when it was meant to rain.

“Some great moments to look back on. I would’ve loved to have had more caps, but different things presided over that, and I wasn’t able to get any more.

“It was an unbelievable experience. I think I was the youngest in the squad as well. To go there and witness that, it’s once in a lifetime.”

You can sense his happiness when he talks about the decision to commit to Ireland, a choice shaped less by strategy than by family.

“It was an easy decision (to pick Ireland over England at a young age), to be honest," said the Coventry native. "I’m really close to my nan and granddad, so for me it was easy. I grew up with them and spent a lot of time with them, they were like second parents to me.

“I lived with Jeff Hendrick when I moved to Derby, so I got on really well with him. Then Martin O’Neill rang me, and that was the main selling point.

“Once I’d spoken to him and knew it was legit and that he wanted me in, it was great. I had no second option. I only ever wanted to play for the Republic of Ireland. My nan and family are so proud. It made a lot of people happy, it was amazing to see the smiles on their faces. It was all worth it.”

Working under O'Neill left its mark.

“I really enjoyed working for Martin. He was able to make you feel like a million dollars. Especially being one of the youngest there, he’d just say: ‘These are your strengths, just play to them. Don’t worry about anything else.’

“A lot of the time, I was coming in if Seamus Coleman was injured. You’re replacing one of Ireland’s best players and a Premier League legend, so it’s difficult.

“I think Martin knew that and really tried to lift me and boost me. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him. I felt like I played some really good football for him.”

With O’Neill back at Celtic, retaking the reins after a disastrous yet short spell under Wilfried Nancy, Christie watches from afar.

“His first stint up there was good. This season, before he took over as caretaker, and now he’s back in there, the results have picked up.

“I’m sure it would be great for them if they can go on to win the league. I don’t know whether he wants the job permanently.

“With Martin in charge, it’s clearly given them a boost. Being the legend that he is at that club, I think it’s made things smoother.”

And where do you think he'll be next season?

“I couldn’t tell you. He’s back in the dugout now, and maybe he’s got a massive appetite for it again.

“You can see his enthusiasm on the sidelines. He’s got a clear love for the game. If he wins something and goes out on a high, it’s a good way to sign off.

“He won’t be short of offers to be back in the studio, that’s for sure.”

Christie keeps close tabs on Ireland, who recently secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup play-offs following a dramatic victory over Hungary.

“I think they’ve got a good chance. Ireland always have a chance, especially in games like that where there’s more pressure on the other team.

“We put ourselves in a fantastic position. Momentum is on our side, so I think we can definitely beat (the Czech Republic). There’s still a long way to go.

“If you’re looking at the draw, it was probably quite favourable to us in some aspect. No disrespect to the Czechs -- they’re a very good team -- but some of the other teams you could have faced, the Czech Republic might have been one you fancy yourself against.”

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“Yeah, it was mental. I was on holiday in Morocco, streaming it on the phone. I had to be quiet because my little one was asleep. It was incredible. I couldn’t believe it. Even then, you’re wondering if the referee is going to blow the whistle."

“You could sense it was coming," Christie continued. "Ireland have always been a team that’s hard to beat and can produce moments like that.

“That was one of the great Irish moments. I’m sure they’ll be buzzing for the next game and want to pick up from there.”

If Ireland gave him one anchor, the West Midlands gave him another. Christie came through the academy at Coventry, playing more than a century of first-team games during a turbulent period. The Sky Blues look very good under manager Frank Lampard, the club sitting second in the Championship -- two points behind new leaders Middlesbrough - following a staggering run of form earlier in the season.

“Coventry means a lot to me. It’s the club I came through and grew up in. To play 120 games for my boyhood club, it's unreal.

“I won a couple of Young Player of the Year awards, too, but it was tough times with the ownership, points deductions and starting on minus ten points. It wasn’t great having to move stadiums.

“It’s great to see them back now and thriving. People forget what a big club Coventry is and the support they have. If they can achieve promotion this year, there’ll be some celebrations going on.

“It’s a big club that used to be in the Premier League. I’ll be one of the first ones cheering if they do.”

Others sit in the promotion picture too, including Boro and Hull - two of Christie's former clubs. While playing for the Tigers, he worked under current Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior.

“I got on well with Liam Rosenior, especially when he first came in. I was flying, then unfortunately got injured.

“We spoke a lot. He tried to sign me at Derby before Hull. I think he’s a top coach. I enjoyed his sessions and the way he wanted to play.

“In my second season, I played the whole season injured, so I wasn’t able to be at my best. It ended unfortunately, getting released on social media.

“But he was a very good coach and a good man-manager. He made everyone feel part of it.”

Rosenior is now in the spotlight at Chelsea, a different scale of scrutiny altogether. Will he be there long-term?

“I’d like to think so, but you never know with Chelsea. Managers don’t get much time.

“I went to the Chelsea and West Ham game, and it was enjoyable to watch, the way they switched it up in the second half.

“Knowing him personally, I’d love to see him have a successful time there. Being at a big club brings pressure, but I’m sure he’s more than capable. The players seem happy and buying into what he does.”

Christie’s own Premier League chapter came with Fulham, playing a full season in 2018/19.

“To play in the Premier League was unreal. Every game is tough.

“There were some good moments and a lot of bad moments. No one wants to get relegated. When we went up, we had a good core group, but a lot of players were brought in, and there were a lot of changes.

“Not many teams go up and stay up. It’s really tough. But to play against some of the world’s best was good.

“When we went up the second time, I would’ve loved to have played in it again because I felt like I’d have done well. But I wasn’t afforded that chance and went on loan (to Nottingham Forest).

“Fulham is a fantastic club. I loved my time there. It was good to get two promotions and 28 or 29 games in the Premier League. That’s something I can be proud of.”

He still watches them under Marco Silva. Might they have a little European adventure soon?

“That would be lovely for Fulham. Marco Silva has done an unreal job. He’s a very good manager. I can see why he’s done so well.

“He’s very intense, and the last few seasons they’ve been on the cusp of European competition. Hopefully, they can do it this year, but the league is super tight.

“I think a lot of people would love to see European nights back at Craven Cottage. It’s a lovely stadium, a lovely day out. It’s a club I hold fondly in my heart, and I’d love to see them have some European success.”

Away from the pitch, Christie is already preparing for what comes next. He is studying for a global sports directorship degree, intrigued by the mechanics of strategy and multi-club ownership models. The idea of becoming a sporting director appeals, shaping a club’s direction rather than simply occupying one position within it.

He has also ventured into business, founding a herbal remedy company, ARC Native. It began, he says privately, as something personal, a way to manage his own wellbeing, but it is slowly becoming something he hopes to grow and promote more widely.

For now, though, the focus is on Bolton and the push upwards. Christie has known the volatility of football: injuries, releases announced online, and the thin margins of international tournaments. There is a pragmatism to him, but also ambition.

“We just need to keep going,” he says of Bolton’s promotion charge. It sounds simple, but he knows all too well it rarely is.

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