Ian Holloway feared Leicester City chairman Milan Mandaric would scupper his chances of signing DJ Campbell.

The Blackpool boss said he experienced sleepless nights and suffered from stress as he waited to find out if City would accept his £1.25 million bid for the 28-year-old striker.

Holloway confessed he thought Mandaric might pull the plug on the deal after his brief spell as City boss, when the club were relegated to League One for the first time in their history.

"I probably had more sleepless nights over the last week or so of the transfer window than I've ever had before in football, and that was because I was thinking about the DJ situation constantly," said Holloway.

"I was thinking that my allegiance, however short and however wrong it was at Leicester, might have stood in his way of him coming here, and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if that had been the case.

"I honestly thought it might have been an issue, between maybe Mr Mandaric and myself, but thankfully sense prevailed.

"The stress of it actually made me ill. All the time I was in Latvia last week I had a lump on my lip like a golf ball.

"It was a cold-sore and I get them when I am stressed and tired out. It was on my lip and so big that when I got back to England people thought I'd dropped a cigar on it!

"But that's all down to DJ really. I've wanted him so badly and I'd been putting so much energy into trying to get him.

"I think he suits us and he is absolutely vital for this football club and the energy of it.

"Never has there been someone so well-suited to come to a club as DJ is for Blackpool.

"I've always said this club fits me like a glove, but I think it fits DJ even better than it fits me."