Evatt now has his players hot to Trott

LOSING the first five games – after being named the bookies’ favourites to win League Two – wasn’t the best start to a new job for Bolton manager Ian Evatt.

But fast forward to the business end of the season and the Trotters are third in the table and on a fantastic run with promotion in sight.

It’s been a whirlwind campaign with a huge upturn of players – eight arrived in January – with boss Evatt (right) also demanding a more attractive style of play.

Having swapped Barrow for Bolton, he has breathed new life into a club which had been in administration and on the brink of folding.

Evatt, 39, said: “I was always confident but it was obviously going to take time. It was a complete reset and rebuild.

“Bolton had paid a fair bit in compensation for me and luckily the board gave me time.

“Losing the first five games was obviously a very poor start.

“I think recruitment in the summer wasn’t good enough if I’m brutally honest.

“We were also teaching new ideas to a completely new group of players in the middle of a pandemic.

“They couldn’t socialise, build any relationships or do anything outside the club because of the strict protocols.

“It takes time to teach players to play a whole new way. I did the recruitment in January and we haven’t looked back.”

He left Barrow after guiding them into the Football League.

“I didn’t really want to leave for another stepping stone club,” he added. “I wanted somewhere in which I could grow with that club and Bolton offered huge potential.”