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David Wheater doesn’t just look on the bright side of life, he lives there.
The big defender bids farewell to Wanderers this summer after five years where the lows have very much outnumbered the highs.
Some players may look back on two relegations, heartbreak in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and a succession of injuries and feel nothing but frustration, perhaps pick out an excuse or two.
But Wheater – one of life’s genuine glass half-full types – prefers to thank his ‘other’ home town for what they gave him and his family, regretting only that he was not able to feature more often for a club which has undergone so much change since he arrived from Middlesbrough.
“I love the place and I’m genuinely sad to go,” he told The Bolton News. “A lot has changed, I know. I started off in a side that had Kevin Davies, Martin Petrov, all these proven internationals, and got to play in the Premier League. That’s the dream for most players so I have got a lot to be thankful for.
“Obviously there have been tough times. Last season was incredible. I hope no one goes through that kind of thing again.
“But through my whole time here the lads have been brilliant, there’s not one I wouldn’t knock about with.
“Fans have always been great. I think they recognise when a player is putting it in and trying hard and they give it back in support.”
Wheater came to the club in the high point of Owen Coyle’s reign in 2011 – Fabrice Muamba and Stuart Holden were the hottest midfield duo in the Premier League and talk was of European qualification, one way or another.
History shows the problems started one sunny afternoon at Old Trafford as Holden’s career was wrecked in a challenge with Jonny Evans. A few months later a thumping defeat against Stoke City at Wembley proved to be another pivotal moment in the club’s recent history.
Had Wheater not witnessed so much of the decline from the sidelines because of injury one wonders whether it would have happened so quickly.
You simply cannot consider the defender’s time at Bolton without addressing his injury problems and how they have restricted him to just 103 starts.
“The problem is I don’t do things by half,” he said, making light of the dark subject matter. “There was nothing I could do about the knee injury (a ruptured cruciate ligament) and then after that I got a slipped disc which put my body all out of line.
“It was only once I saw a specialist who recognised it that I got myself right again. Now I feel great. But obviously I missed a lot of football.
“I don’t think I have had a lot of injuries but when I get them, I get bad ones.”
Last season’s financial woes at Wanderers made it difficult for even an eternal optimist like Wheater to keep up his morale.
The PFA were called in after players were left unpaid during the previous owner’s reign and all the while results on the pitch suffered badly.
“I’ll probably get stick for it but getting paid has never been something I’ve had to think about,” he said. “My bills get paid and the rest goes into savings, and you never really bat an eyelid.
“It doesn’t really register but one day we went down to the hotel and Prats (Darren Pratley) told us the money hadn’t gone in.
“I’m not going to say I struggled but it was strange because I had a lot of phone calls to make and things to move around.
“Other lads may have been different, especially the younger ones. There’s no doubt it affected us.”
Wheater lives locally and believes as Wanderers look to rebuild this season that more players should be encouraged to stay in the town.
“I think it has helped me,” he said. “Just before I did this interview I was with my daughter in one of those soft play centres and a fella came up to me to talk football and wish me the best.
“At first when I moved here I’d get a few people come up and ask questions but as time has gone on they leave me to get on with it.
“The younger lads usually spot me. They’ll get their mum or dad to come over and see if I’ll do a picture – it’s the least I can do.
“When I was their age and growing up at Boro I’d look at people like Fabrizio Ravanelli or Juninho and they were like gods to me.
“On the rare occasion you get a bit of grief but I’d say it’s a good thing for players to live close to the ground.
“I hate travelling anyway to it’s a big thing for me. But I think you miss out a little bit if you live out in Cheshire or Manchester.”
Wheater would like to stay local as he searches for a new club this summer and has already had a couple of offers which are under consideration.
His wife Laura is expecting their second child in a matter of weeks, so there are more pressing concerns, but the 29-year-old wishes Wanderers all the best in their efforts to get back into the Championship.
“Of course I’d love to see them go straight back up,” he said. “Bolton has been very good to me and I have a lot of friends there.”
Source
The big defender bids farewell to Wanderers this summer after five years where the lows have very much outnumbered the highs.
Some players may look back on two relegations, heartbreak in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and a succession of injuries and feel nothing but frustration, perhaps pick out an excuse or two.
But Wheater – one of life’s genuine glass half-full types – prefers to thank his ‘other’ home town for what they gave him and his family, regretting only that he was not able to feature more often for a club which has undergone so much change since he arrived from Middlesbrough.
“I love the place and I’m genuinely sad to go,” he told The Bolton News. “A lot has changed, I know. I started off in a side that had Kevin Davies, Martin Petrov, all these proven internationals, and got to play in the Premier League. That’s the dream for most players so I have got a lot to be thankful for.
“Obviously there have been tough times. Last season was incredible. I hope no one goes through that kind of thing again.
“But through my whole time here the lads have been brilliant, there’s not one I wouldn’t knock about with.
“Fans have always been great. I think they recognise when a player is putting it in and trying hard and they give it back in support.”
Wheater came to the club in the high point of Owen Coyle’s reign in 2011 – Fabrice Muamba and Stuart Holden were the hottest midfield duo in the Premier League and talk was of European qualification, one way or another.
History shows the problems started one sunny afternoon at Old Trafford as Holden’s career was wrecked in a challenge with Jonny Evans. A few months later a thumping defeat against Stoke City at Wembley proved to be another pivotal moment in the club’s recent history.
Had Wheater not witnessed so much of the decline from the sidelines because of injury one wonders whether it would have happened so quickly.
You simply cannot consider the defender’s time at Bolton without addressing his injury problems and how they have restricted him to just 103 starts.
“The problem is I don’t do things by half,” he said, making light of the dark subject matter. “There was nothing I could do about the knee injury (a ruptured cruciate ligament) and then after that I got a slipped disc which put my body all out of line.
“It was only once I saw a specialist who recognised it that I got myself right again. Now I feel great. But obviously I missed a lot of football.
“I don’t think I have had a lot of injuries but when I get them, I get bad ones.”
Last season’s financial woes at Wanderers made it difficult for even an eternal optimist like Wheater to keep up his morale.
The PFA were called in after players were left unpaid during the previous owner’s reign and all the while results on the pitch suffered badly.
“I’ll probably get stick for it but getting paid has never been something I’ve had to think about,” he said. “My bills get paid and the rest goes into savings, and you never really bat an eyelid.
“It doesn’t really register but one day we went down to the hotel and Prats (Darren Pratley) told us the money hadn’t gone in.
“I’m not going to say I struggled but it was strange because I had a lot of phone calls to make and things to move around.
“Other lads may have been different, especially the younger ones. There’s no doubt it affected us.”
Wheater lives locally and believes as Wanderers look to rebuild this season that more players should be encouraged to stay in the town.
“I think it has helped me,” he said. “Just before I did this interview I was with my daughter in one of those soft play centres and a fella came up to me to talk football and wish me the best.
“At first when I moved here I’d get a few people come up and ask questions but as time has gone on they leave me to get on with it.
“The younger lads usually spot me. They’ll get their mum or dad to come over and see if I’ll do a picture – it’s the least I can do.
“When I was their age and growing up at Boro I’d look at people like Fabrizio Ravanelli or Juninho and they were like gods to me.
“On the rare occasion you get a bit of grief but I’d say it’s a good thing for players to live close to the ground.
“I hate travelling anyway to it’s a big thing for me. But I think you miss out a little bit if you live out in Cheshire or Manchester.”
Wheater would like to stay local as he searches for a new club this summer and has already had a couple of offers which are under consideration.
His wife Laura is expecting their second child in a matter of weeks, so there are more pressing concerns, but the 29-year-old wishes Wanderers all the best in their efforts to get back into the Championship.
“Of course I’d love to see them go straight back up,” he said. “Bolton has been very good to me and I have a lot of friends there.”
Source
Trust me I've got a serious vested interest this afternoon.
