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Phil Parkinson wants Wanderers’ out-of-contract players to follow Jay Spearing’s example and fight for their future.
Several first teamers see their deal expire in the summer, including Spearing, Dean Moxey, Lewis Buxton, Max Clayton, Lawrie Wilson, David Wheater, Gary Madine and Liam Trotter.
Chairman Ken Anderson has already outlined plans to make the Whites more self-sufficient by streamlining a wage bill which had spiralled out of control since dropping out of the Premier League in 2012.
Parkinson needs to maintain momentum in a promotion push, however, and the Whites boss believes his captain set exactly the right tone when pressed on his future last weekend.
“Jay said it – every time he pulls on a shirt he’s playing for his future and for his family. We are all in that boat,” the manager told The Bolton News.
“We have to have that collective spirit. There are a lot of lads out of contract and we all need to work together to make sure the club is in a position to give out new deals to our best players in the summer.
“We have to stick together. We know what situation the club is in and we’re fighting for a cause.
“Equally, there are individual situations going on, and if players want to get back to where they want to be they need the team to be doing well.
“We have got to keep driving on and getting results.”
Parkinson is also keen to enforce upon players who have not had a regular start that there is time left to make an impression on Wanderers’ season.
Trotter, Moxey, Buxton and summer signings Chris Taylor and Jamie Proctor have all been consigned largely to the bench in the first half of the campaign.
James Henry also fell into that category until very recently as a late winner against Scunthorpe coupled with Sammy Ameobi’s move back to Newcastle United turned his fortunes for the better.
“I don’t want to sit here and label individual players but there are one or two who have that opportunity to change things around,” he said.
“That happens in football. One minute you are down and feel like everything is against you, the next something special happens and you can’t do any wrong.
“It can be that way with a player’s relationship with supporters too. Look at James – he had struggled earlier in the season but that one moment against Scunthorpe lifted his confidence and he took that into a great performance against Crystal Palace.
“Every player who has a squad number has to have faith in himself that they can make a contribution.”
Striker Gary Madine has also seen his public perception change of late, with a string of hard-working displays earning his two fan awards in December.
The former Sheffield Wednesday man has been the focal point of the Whites attack for most of the season and has six goals to his name – but had, until recently, enjoyed a love-hate relationship with the club’s fans.
Parkinson has been pleased with his work on the pitch but reckons the real change in Madine’s make-up has been witnessed at Lostock.
“Gaz has got rewards from grafting on the training ground. It’s as simple as that,” he said. “It has improved, and all credit to him for that.
“If you look at his performance against Crystal Palace, he was excellent, the way he led the line.
“What supporters are seeing is a massive improvement in his fitness levels. He is getting stronger all the time because he is out there and working very hard every single day.”
Meanwhile, Swindon boss Luke Williams is expected to name four new signings in his squad to face Wanderers today.
Chelsea trio Islam Feruz, Fankaty Dabo and Charlie Colkett plus QPR’s Ben Gladwin are all aiming to make debuts at the Macron.
And Williams admits he needs them to make an immediate impact with the struggling Robins.
“They need to hit the ground running and this environment is unforgiving and there is very, very little time – patience is gone in football,” he said.
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Several first teamers see their deal expire in the summer, including Spearing, Dean Moxey, Lewis Buxton, Max Clayton, Lawrie Wilson, David Wheater, Gary Madine and Liam Trotter.
Chairman Ken Anderson has already outlined plans to make the Whites more self-sufficient by streamlining a wage bill which had spiralled out of control since dropping out of the Premier League in 2012.
Parkinson needs to maintain momentum in a promotion push, however, and the Whites boss believes his captain set exactly the right tone when pressed on his future last weekend.
“Jay said it – every time he pulls on a shirt he’s playing for his future and for his family. We are all in that boat,” the manager told The Bolton News.
“We have to have that collective spirit. There are a lot of lads out of contract and we all need to work together to make sure the club is in a position to give out new deals to our best players in the summer.
“We have to stick together. We know what situation the club is in and we’re fighting for a cause.
“Equally, there are individual situations going on, and if players want to get back to where they want to be they need the team to be doing well.
“We have got to keep driving on and getting results.”
Parkinson is also keen to enforce upon players who have not had a regular start that there is time left to make an impression on Wanderers’ season.
Trotter, Moxey, Buxton and summer signings Chris Taylor and Jamie Proctor have all been consigned largely to the bench in the first half of the campaign.
James Henry also fell into that category until very recently as a late winner against Scunthorpe coupled with Sammy Ameobi’s move back to Newcastle United turned his fortunes for the better.
“I don’t want to sit here and label individual players but there are one or two who have that opportunity to change things around,” he said.
“That happens in football. One minute you are down and feel like everything is against you, the next something special happens and you can’t do any wrong.
“It can be that way with a player’s relationship with supporters too. Look at James – he had struggled earlier in the season but that one moment against Scunthorpe lifted his confidence and he took that into a great performance against Crystal Palace.
“Every player who has a squad number has to have faith in himself that they can make a contribution.”
Striker Gary Madine has also seen his public perception change of late, with a string of hard-working displays earning his two fan awards in December.
The former Sheffield Wednesday man has been the focal point of the Whites attack for most of the season and has six goals to his name – but had, until recently, enjoyed a love-hate relationship with the club’s fans.
Parkinson has been pleased with his work on the pitch but reckons the real change in Madine’s make-up has been witnessed at Lostock.
“Gaz has got rewards from grafting on the training ground. It’s as simple as that,” he said. “It has improved, and all credit to him for that.
“If you look at his performance against Crystal Palace, he was excellent, the way he led the line.
“What supporters are seeing is a massive improvement in his fitness levels. He is getting stronger all the time because he is out there and working very hard every single day.”
Meanwhile, Swindon boss Luke Williams is expected to name four new signings in his squad to face Wanderers today.
Chelsea trio Islam Feruz, Fankaty Dabo and Charlie Colkett plus QPR’s Ben Gladwin are all aiming to make debuts at the Macron.
And Williams admits he needs them to make an immediate impact with the struggling Robins.
“They need to hit the ground running and this environment is unforgiving and there is very, very little time – patience is gone in football,” he said.
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