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Andrew Taylor is in from the cold and determined to make the most of a fresh start at Wanderers.
Frozen out over the summer by Wigan Athletic, who made their feelings clear by refusing to grant him a squad number, it is easy to see why the defender feels slighted by his treatment down the road.
A call from Phil Parkinson has changed his outlook, however, and with a season-long loan confirmed with the Whites on Wednesday, Taylor is now intent on showing the Latics why they were wrong to sideline him.
“I believe that if you work hard, first and foremost, you can get success," he said. “I feel pretty good. I did a session with Nick Allamby (Wanderers’ fitness coach) the other day and it went well.
“I haven’t had as much game time over pre-season as I would have liked, just because things were going on and Wigan wanted me to leave.
“But I have kept myself fit and worked with the fitness coach over there, so I’m in pretty good shape.”
Taylor is reunited with a former team-mate in David Wheater, who rose with him through the youth ranks at Middlesbrough.
The pair played in Boro’s FA Youth Cup win in 2004 and both made more than a century of first-team appearances at the Riverside before going their separate ways.
“I spoke with Big Wheats a couple of times, especially once I saw he’d re-signed here,” Taylor said. “We grew up together and as everyone knows here he’s a great player. I hope we can get cracking and we can have a good relationship again.”
Dean Moxey played virtually every minute of pre-season for Wanderers and was also involved in Tuesday night’s extra-time slog at Blackpool.
Taylor recognises he may not walk into Parkinson’s starting line-up but is impressed by the quality of squad he has joined.
“Personally, I have to work hard to get in the team – you obviously have Moxey there as the left-back at the minute,” he said.
“I’m going to have to work hard to get in the team and stay in the team.
"But ultimately, for me and the group the aim is to be successful. Bolton is a big club and in my opinion it deserves at least to be in the Championship.
“Yes, things didn’t go right last season but we’ll all be working hard to put it right and get promoted.
“Looking at the squad it’s very good and I believe it’s more than capable of being successful.”
Taylor featured prominently for Wigan under the man who signed him, Uwe Rosler, but fell immediately out of favour under Gary Caldwell as the Latics tumbled into League One and was loaned out to Reading.
As such, the 30-year-old has had little experience of life in the third tier but looks forward to the challenge if he gets the nod at the Cherry Red Records Stadium tomorrow.
“AFC Wimbledon away will be a nice start for me, a bit of a ‘welcome to League One’ if you like,” he said. “They will be a tough, physical team but if I’m picked and selected it’s something I am looking forward to.”
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Frozen out over the summer by Wigan Athletic, who made their feelings clear by refusing to grant him a squad number, it is easy to see why the defender feels slighted by his treatment down the road.
A call from Phil Parkinson has changed his outlook, however, and with a season-long loan confirmed with the Whites on Wednesday, Taylor is now intent on showing the Latics why they were wrong to sideline him.
“I believe that if you work hard, first and foremost, you can get success," he said. “I feel pretty good. I did a session with Nick Allamby (Wanderers’ fitness coach) the other day and it went well.
“I haven’t had as much game time over pre-season as I would have liked, just because things were going on and Wigan wanted me to leave.
“But I have kept myself fit and worked with the fitness coach over there, so I’m in pretty good shape.”
Taylor is reunited with a former team-mate in David Wheater, who rose with him through the youth ranks at Middlesbrough.
The pair played in Boro’s FA Youth Cup win in 2004 and both made more than a century of first-team appearances at the Riverside before going their separate ways.
“I spoke with Big Wheats a couple of times, especially once I saw he’d re-signed here,” Taylor said. “We grew up together and as everyone knows here he’s a great player. I hope we can get cracking and we can have a good relationship again.”
Dean Moxey played virtually every minute of pre-season for Wanderers and was also involved in Tuesday night’s extra-time slog at Blackpool.
Taylor recognises he may not walk into Parkinson’s starting line-up but is impressed by the quality of squad he has joined.
“Personally, I have to work hard to get in the team – you obviously have Moxey there as the left-back at the minute,” he said.
“I’m going to have to work hard to get in the team and stay in the team.
"But ultimately, for me and the group the aim is to be successful. Bolton is a big club and in my opinion it deserves at least to be in the Championship.
“Yes, things didn’t go right last season but we’ll all be working hard to put it right and get promoted.
“Looking at the squad it’s very good and I believe it’s more than capable of being successful.”
Taylor featured prominently for Wigan under the man who signed him, Uwe Rosler, but fell immediately out of favour under Gary Caldwell as the Latics tumbled into League One and was loaned out to Reading.
As such, the 30-year-old has had little experience of life in the third tier but looks forward to the challenge if he gets the nod at the Cherry Red Records Stadium tomorrow.
“AFC Wimbledon away will be a nice start for me, a bit of a ‘welcome to League One’ if you like,” he said. “They will be a tough, physical team but if I’m picked and selected it’s something I am looking forward to.”
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