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Veteran pair Emile Heskey and Eidur Gudjohnsen saved Wanderers from the “unthinkable” this season, according to assistant boss Johan Mjallby.
Though the footballing world raised its collective eyebrows when Neil Lennon brought in a strike pairing sharing 73 years between them late last year, their experience has been worth its weight in gold for the Whites.
Both players featured heavily in a turbulent run-in and have now been offered one-year deals for next season.
But while Mjallby is happy to praise the strikers for their impact on and off the field, the Swedish coach also feels the club became over-reliant on them at times.
And without their input, Lennon’s straight-talking assistant reckons the club could have been sucked back into the relegation battle in the New Year.
“They have done so well both of them, they have been great,” he told The Bolton News.
“They are good for the younger players to see these guys up close – they are so professional and train so well. They will definitely help them come through.
“But at the same time it’s a bit of a negative. It shows we haven’t had the best season when you have to rely on Emile and Eidur perhaps being our best players.
“Luckily they have been there. Without them I don’t think we’d have been safe at all. It would have been unthinkable.”
Heskey has indicated he wants to stay on at the Macron next season and begin his coaching badges, while Gudjohnsen is also keen to remain at the club he calls “home” for the foreseeable.
The Icelander has the added incentive of a European Championships to work towards next summer and so his second spell at Wanderers has been nothing but positive for the former Chelsea star.
“I absolutely love it,” he said. “I came back into the Iceland team a month ago, and it made me realise you only play once, you might as well enjoy it for as long as you can.
“I’m physically very fit, don’t have any injury problems – no little niggles that give me any setbacks. While I’m physically able to do it I’ll play for as long as I can.
“Making a comeback with the national team gave me great pleasure and we’re in a very good position for the Euros, so it does give me a lot of incentive to carry on.
“We came so close to going to the World Cup, then we were beaten by Croatia in the play-offs, and it’s the one thing missing a little bit from my career.
“Iceland have never qualified for a major championship, so to be part of that and finish my career on that note, it’s like I would have written the script myself.”
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Though the footballing world raised its collective eyebrows when Neil Lennon brought in a strike pairing sharing 73 years between them late last year, their experience has been worth its weight in gold for the Whites.
Both players featured heavily in a turbulent run-in and have now been offered one-year deals for next season.
But while Mjallby is happy to praise the strikers for their impact on and off the field, the Swedish coach also feels the club became over-reliant on them at times.
And without their input, Lennon’s straight-talking assistant reckons the club could have been sucked back into the relegation battle in the New Year.
“They have done so well both of them, they have been great,” he told The Bolton News.
“They are good for the younger players to see these guys up close – they are so professional and train so well. They will definitely help them come through.
“But at the same time it’s a bit of a negative. It shows we haven’t had the best season when you have to rely on Emile and Eidur perhaps being our best players.
“Luckily they have been there. Without them I don’t think we’d have been safe at all. It would have been unthinkable.”
Heskey has indicated he wants to stay on at the Macron next season and begin his coaching badges, while Gudjohnsen is also keen to remain at the club he calls “home” for the foreseeable.
The Icelander has the added incentive of a European Championships to work towards next summer and so his second spell at Wanderers has been nothing but positive for the former Chelsea star.
“I absolutely love it,” he said. “I came back into the Iceland team a month ago, and it made me realise you only play once, you might as well enjoy it for as long as you can.
“I’m physically very fit, don’t have any injury problems – no little niggles that give me any setbacks. While I’m physically able to do it I’ll play for as long as I can.
“Making a comeback with the national team gave me great pleasure and we’re in a very good position for the Euros, so it does give me a lot of incentive to carry on.
“We came so close to going to the World Cup, then we were beaten by Croatia in the play-offs, and it’s the one thing missing a little bit from my career.
“Iceland have never qualified for a major championship, so to be part of that and finish my career on that note, it’s like I would have written the script myself.”
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