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Dorian Dervite admits his decision to stay with Wanderers in January was made more in hope than expectation.
The French defender had battled back from a persistent knee injury but found himself way behind Mark Beevers, David Wheater, Derik Osede and Tom Thorpe in Phil Parkinson’s plans.
Clubs from Belgium, Serbia and Spain made enquiries about taking the 28-year-old on loan but offered only a portion of his wage.
Dervite was given the option of moving on but changed his mind after speaking with Parkinson. Now, after returning to the side for the first time in more than a year and with his contract at the Macron due to expire in the summer, the former Charlton Athletic defender believes he made the right decision.
“The manager said he was happy for me to stay and that if I kept working hard you never know, a chance might just come along,” he said. “I thought I’d be out of the squad for the rest of the season but the manager believed in me, gave me my chance, and I have to thank him for that. Now I am doing my best to stay in the team and keep winning.
“Now here I am, I’m playing, and I hope that continues so we’ll see where it goes. It’s my last year and we will see what happens but first of all I want to stay in the team and bring Bolton back to the Championship. It’s a big club and I think it belongs there.”
Dervite had not featured in a first team game under Parkinson until coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United last month.
He had been a regular for previous managers Dougie Freedman and Neil Lennon and acknowledges the mood within the camp at the moment is a marked departure from the last few years.
“It has been a long time out for me but it is good to be back playing, especially the way results have been going,” he said, ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Northampton.
“The club is very different now. Everyone is happier to go training; the lads get on well with each other and with the staff. It is a good atmosphere now and we’re smiling again.
“Out on the pitch it is different. It is tough. You have to fight hard for every result. At Gillingham we started well and got the goals early on. After that they were a bit down and we took advantage of it, stayed professional, didn’t try to overplay.
“The manager makes sure we are solid defensively.”
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The French defender had battled back from a persistent knee injury but found himself way behind Mark Beevers, David Wheater, Derik Osede and Tom Thorpe in Phil Parkinson’s plans.
Clubs from Belgium, Serbia and Spain made enquiries about taking the 28-year-old on loan but offered only a portion of his wage.
Dervite was given the option of moving on but changed his mind after speaking with Parkinson. Now, after returning to the side for the first time in more than a year and with his contract at the Macron due to expire in the summer, the former Charlton Athletic defender believes he made the right decision.
“The manager said he was happy for me to stay and that if I kept working hard you never know, a chance might just come along,” he said. “I thought I’d be out of the squad for the rest of the season but the manager believed in me, gave me my chance, and I have to thank him for that. Now I am doing my best to stay in the team and keep winning.
“Now here I am, I’m playing, and I hope that continues so we’ll see where it goes. It’s my last year and we will see what happens but first of all I want to stay in the team and bring Bolton back to the Championship. It’s a big club and I think it belongs there.”
Dervite had not featured in a first team game under Parkinson until coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United last month.
He had been a regular for previous managers Dougie Freedman and Neil Lennon and acknowledges the mood within the camp at the moment is a marked departure from the last few years.
“It has been a long time out for me but it is good to be back playing, especially the way results have been going,” he said, ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Northampton.
“The club is very different now. Everyone is happier to go training; the lads get on well with each other and with the staff. It is a good atmosphere now and we’re smiling again.
“Out on the pitch it is different. It is tough. You have to fight hard for every result. At Gillingham we started well and got the goals early on. After that they were a bit down and we took advantage of it, stayed professional, didn’t try to overplay.
“The manager makes sure we are solid defensively.”
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