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Jay Spearing has voiced his frustration at being left in limbo during Wanderers’ agonising slide towards relegation last season.
The midfielder was forced to sit out the last 10 matches of a doomed campaign after the Whites refused to pay a £100,000 fee owed to his former club Liverpool.
Spearing witnessed his team-mates’ slow demise from the stands but moved from box seat to box office on Saturday as his stunning volley gave manager Phil Parkinson a winning start to life at the Macron against Sheffield United.
“The biggest and most disappointing thing for me was that I had no idea about it,” said the 27-year-old, who was removed from the squad to face Preston North End on March 19 just an hour before kick-off.
“I literally got told on the Thursday. It was still touch and go up to the Saturday.
“I came in and was told I was playing, then by Saturday afternoon the gaffer pulled me to one side and said I couldn’t. I didn’t know what was going on, I don’t think he did or anyone did.
“I’d worked so hard to get back into the team and got a good run of games but then to have that happen to you, and you have no control over it, it was tough.
“Sadly, it didn’t work out for the club and we got relegated but I can only concentrate on getting back and playing football.
"I want to get back to my best and make sure I am doing well with this club.”
Victory over Sheffield United was Wanderers’ first on the opening day since 2011 and only their second in 10 seasons.
Spearing is not getting ahead of himself with only three points on the board but feels with the backing of Bolton’s long-suffering supporters, the club could conduct their business at the right end of the table this season.
“I think we can challenge,” he said. “We have got a good squad with depth, a good mix of younger and older players, and we should be competing up there.
“We’ve won one game, OK, but we have to believe we can push on.
“The supporters have backed us brilliantly and with that we can only improve.
“It’s a massive drive when you can hear that. As long as you can show fans you are committed and that you won’t give up they will back you. I think we did that.”
Spearing’s goal on Saturday was his first since February when he scored in consecutive games against Brighton and Rotherham United.
The Anfield graduate reckons a fresh outlook in the squad instigated by new boss Parkinson gives Wanderers a good shot at getting last season’s disappointments out of their system.
“We had a good pre-season with the new gaffer and he’s given the lads a bit of belief back that we lost last year,” he said. “From the first minute to the 90th minute you could see the confidence, the grit, the grime and the confidence was back.
“We know we have got a long, long way to go but it’s great to get three points on the board.
“He’s done a lot. We were down when he came in, understandably, but a lot of us believe we should be playing higher.
"We had a tough run last year but he’s shown us we are decent players, we have a decent squad and we’ve been able to keep hold of a lot of important people.
“I think we’ve dealt with it now, we need to move on. We knew what the manager had done at Bradford, the cup runs he went on and how he’d got them into the play-offs.
“Fingers crossed we can keep hold of them through the window and then really crack on this season.”
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The midfielder was forced to sit out the last 10 matches of a doomed campaign after the Whites refused to pay a £100,000 fee owed to his former club Liverpool.
Spearing witnessed his team-mates’ slow demise from the stands but moved from box seat to box office on Saturday as his stunning volley gave manager Phil Parkinson a winning start to life at the Macron against Sheffield United.
“The biggest and most disappointing thing for me was that I had no idea about it,” said the 27-year-old, who was removed from the squad to face Preston North End on March 19 just an hour before kick-off.
“I literally got told on the Thursday. It was still touch and go up to the Saturday.
“I came in and was told I was playing, then by Saturday afternoon the gaffer pulled me to one side and said I couldn’t. I didn’t know what was going on, I don’t think he did or anyone did.
“I’d worked so hard to get back into the team and got a good run of games but then to have that happen to you, and you have no control over it, it was tough.
“Sadly, it didn’t work out for the club and we got relegated but I can only concentrate on getting back and playing football.
"I want to get back to my best and make sure I am doing well with this club.”
Victory over Sheffield United was Wanderers’ first on the opening day since 2011 and only their second in 10 seasons.
Spearing is not getting ahead of himself with only three points on the board but feels with the backing of Bolton’s long-suffering supporters, the club could conduct their business at the right end of the table this season.
“I think we can challenge,” he said. “We have got a good squad with depth, a good mix of younger and older players, and we should be competing up there.
“We’ve won one game, OK, but we have to believe we can push on.
“The supporters have backed us brilliantly and with that we can only improve.
“It’s a massive drive when you can hear that. As long as you can show fans you are committed and that you won’t give up they will back you. I think we did that.”
Spearing’s goal on Saturday was his first since February when he scored in consecutive games against Brighton and Rotherham United.
The Anfield graduate reckons a fresh outlook in the squad instigated by new boss Parkinson gives Wanderers a good shot at getting last season’s disappointments out of their system.
“We had a good pre-season with the new gaffer and he’s given the lads a bit of belief back that we lost last year,” he said. “From the first minute to the 90th minute you could see the confidence, the grit, the grime and the confidence was back.
“We know we have got a long, long way to go but it’s great to get three points on the board.
“He’s done a lot. We were down when he came in, understandably, but a lot of us believe we should be playing higher.
"We had a tough run last year but he’s shown us we are decent players, we have a decent squad and we’ve been able to keep hold of a lot of important people.
“I think we’ve dealt with it now, we need to move on. We knew what the manager had done at Bradford, the cup runs he went on and how he’d got them into the play-offs.
“Fingers crossed we can keep hold of them through the window and then really crack on this season.”
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