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Ronan Darcy has done his Wanderers future the power of good after going out on loan to Norway at the end of last year.
Ian Evatt says he was impressed by the midfielder’s condition when he returned from Sogndal before Christmas.
Bolton are yet to decide whether to loan Darcy out again for the second half of this season – but Evatt reckons the academy graduate is now looking better equipped to handle League One football.
“I must say Ronan is one of the players that has pleased me the most this season,” he said. “He has been away to Norway and transformed himself physically, and that is exactly what he needed to do.
“He has always been very technical and had good ability, but he needed to be able to cope with the robustness and physical nature of this division.”
Darcy played briefly against Wycombe earlier this month in what was his first appearance for the Whites since last December, when he featured as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Walsall in League Two.
The 21-year-old signed a contract extension at the start of the season and has shown big improvements in recent months which bode well for his first team chances.
“He has gone away, taken himself into the gym every day and physically he looks a different specimen now,” the manager said. “We are really pleased with him.
“Is he ready to play week in, week out, right here and right now? No.
“But he is certainly capable, and we will decide later on in the window whether we feel he needs to go out on loan.
“We will make sure any move is right for him because we feel he’s got a really big future here.”
Darcy has made 35 career appearances for Wanderers, scoring twice, and played in eight league games during his time at Sogndal, starting three times.
He helped the club finish sixth in the regular season but defeat against KFUM at the start of December in the play-offs ended their chances of promotion.
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