Arsenal scout Stephen Bradley says he was given Arsene Wenger's blessing to take over as caretaker manager of Irish club Shamrock Rovers.
Bradley, 31, a former Arsenal academy player, is now the club's main scout for Ireland and Northern Ireland.
And so when he was asked to take temporary charge of Rovers after Pat Fenlon was sacked he felt he needed to ask the Arsenal manager first.
"'I spoke to the boss and he's given me permission to do it until the end of the season," Bradley told the Irish Daily Mail.
"He's happy. He told me that I must take it and that it's a great experience. He just said go with your gut and with what you feel and don't change it."
Bradley was already overseeing Rovers' youth program and has previously said he wants to teach young players to avoid the same mistakes he made at Arsenal.
Bradley, who was seen as a promising midfielder, has been outspoken about how his motivation ebbed once he signed his first professional contract and let the money get to his head.
It will be his first head coaching job, and it will only be on a temporary basis as Bradley does not have his UEFA pro license yet.