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David Wheater reckons central-defensive partner Mark Beevers could easily have been the one collecting a League One Player of the Year trophy on Monday night.
The Wanderers ace scooped another prize for his prominent part in the club’s promotion campaign last season at the Leesa North West Football Awards at Lancashire Cricket Club.
But speaking after the event, the 30-year-old admitted it must have been a close call between himself and fellow defender Beevers when the judges drew up the shortlist.
“I pipped him by a couple of goals, I think, he got seven and I got nine,” he said. “That’s a great return for two centre-halves and Beeves had a great season.
“I’d never played with Beeves before he came to Bolton but it clicked from day one. We’ve worked on it – we do every day in training – and he could easily have been stood here collecting an award.”
Wheater was accompanied to the ceremony by his real ‘other half,’ wife, Laura, and was presented with his award by ex-Wanderers skipper Kevin Davies, now manager of Southport.
Phil Parkinson narrowly missed out on the Manager of the Year award to Blackpool’s Garry Bowyer but there was success for the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, who won the prize for Community Initiative of the Year for ‘Positive Chances’.
Among the star-studded guests were ex-Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, former Manchester United stars Ryan Giggs, Phil and Gary Neville and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany.
Wheater was briefly released by Wanderers last summer before Parkinson brought him back into the fold for the League One push.
Currently the longest-serving player at the club, the former Middlesbrough man believes the club is heading in the right direction again after a tough start to the campaign.
“It starts with us,” he said. “We got the fans back onside after a few bad years and getting relegated from the Championship.
“Last year was much better, we were winning games, and this last five games we’ve started playing good football. I think we missed Sammy Ameobi and Josh Vela – probably our two best attacking players – but since they’ve been back, we’ve been better.”
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The Wanderers ace scooped another prize for his prominent part in the club’s promotion campaign last season at the Leesa North West Football Awards at Lancashire Cricket Club.
But speaking after the event, the 30-year-old admitted it must have been a close call between himself and fellow defender Beevers when the judges drew up the shortlist.
“I pipped him by a couple of goals, I think, he got seven and I got nine,” he said. “That’s a great return for two centre-halves and Beeves had a great season.
“I’d never played with Beeves before he came to Bolton but it clicked from day one. We’ve worked on it – we do every day in training – and he could easily have been stood here collecting an award.”
Wheater was accompanied to the ceremony by his real ‘other half,’ wife, Laura, and was presented with his award by ex-Wanderers skipper Kevin Davies, now manager of Southport.
Phil Parkinson narrowly missed out on the Manager of the Year award to Blackpool’s Garry Bowyer but there was success for the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, who won the prize for Community Initiative of the Year for ‘Positive Chances’.
Among the star-studded guests were ex-Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, former Manchester United stars Ryan Giggs, Phil and Gary Neville and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany.
Wheater was briefly released by Wanderers last summer before Parkinson brought him back into the fold for the League One push.
Currently the longest-serving player at the club, the former Middlesbrough man believes the club is heading in the right direction again after a tough start to the campaign.
“It starts with us,” he said. “We got the fans back onside after a few bad years and getting relegated from the Championship.
“Last year was much better, we were winning games, and this last five games we’ve started playing good football. I think we missed Sammy Ameobi and Josh Vela – probably our two best attacking players – but since they’ve been back, we’ve been better.”
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