Allardyce told the People: "Losing them was a big blow, but it shows how far Bolton have come that we managed to recruit a top guy from the FA and a respected coach from Manchester United.
"Sammy was over-seeing a Pro Licence course I was completing at Warwick University last summer and I sensed that, although he was involved coaching England, he was frustrated at a lack of day-to-day involvement with players, having been at Liverpool so long.
"Sammy's a workaholic and a great lad and we are managing things well together. As for Ricky, I knew him at Sunderland but getting him out of United was a major coup."