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Ian Evatt believes the signing of Eoin Doyle spells out Wanderers’ promotion intent – but has rejected rumours that the club broke the bank to bring the striker in.
Ex-Swindon Town striker Doyle turned down offers from League One to sign a three-year deal at the UniBol and become Evatt’s first new addition since being appointed as head coach.
The transfer set tongues wagging around the lower divisions, with suggestion in some quarters that Bolton’s offer was a financial risk.
Doyle had been offered the chance to re-sign for Swindon, for whom he scored 25 goals last season, and was also on Sunderland’s radar this summer.
Evatt insists the 32-year-old’s decision to join Bolton was not financially motivated.
“Football is full of opinions and rumours, so you have to live with that,” he told The Bolton News. “The but the fact of the matter is that Eoin turned down more money from a club in a league above us. He showed with that decision that it wasn’t about finance.
“He wants to embrace the project here. We’re building Bolton back up, changing the environment, the culture, making it a family club once again.”
In what has been a fairly stagnant market in the lower leagues, Wanderers have very deliberately begun their recruitment drive early and are expected to add midfielder Antoni Sarcevic to their ranks by the end of the week.
Evatt believes the addition of Doyle was an important moment for Bolton, whose recent history has been sullied by the actions of a previous ownership.
“With how the club has been in recent years, the trials and tribulations, it was important after I’d come in that we set the record straight,” Evatt said.
“We are here to make a mark. I think Eoin Doyle has sent a shockwave around that shows Bolton means business again. We have pressed the reset button and that is the message we want to send.
“From a head coach’s perspective you are always looking to add goals to your team and most of the time teams are only as good as their strikers.
“Boil the whole game down and it’s a case of scoring more than the opposition do, so someone like Eoin is going to be invaluable to us.”
Evatt has also warned free agents who have been earmarked by the club in the last few weeks that finances at Bolton will remain strictly under control.
“We’re not here to dish out money,” he added. “We’re identifying targets strategically and working very, very hard to pick players we feel can take the club forward. It’s not a cash cow.”
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Ex-Swindon Town striker Doyle turned down offers from League One to sign a three-year deal at the UniBol and become Evatt’s first new addition since being appointed as head coach.
The transfer set tongues wagging around the lower divisions, with suggestion in some quarters that Bolton’s offer was a financial risk.
Doyle had been offered the chance to re-sign for Swindon, for whom he scored 25 goals last season, and was also on Sunderland’s radar this summer.
Evatt insists the 32-year-old’s decision to join Bolton was not financially motivated.
“Football is full of opinions and rumours, so you have to live with that,” he told The Bolton News. “The but the fact of the matter is that Eoin turned down more money from a club in a league above us. He showed with that decision that it wasn’t about finance.
“He wants to embrace the project here. We’re building Bolton back up, changing the environment, the culture, making it a family club once again.”
In what has been a fairly stagnant market in the lower leagues, Wanderers have very deliberately begun their recruitment drive early and are expected to add midfielder Antoni Sarcevic to their ranks by the end of the week.
Evatt believes the addition of Doyle was an important moment for Bolton, whose recent history has been sullied by the actions of a previous ownership.
“With how the club has been in recent years, the trials and tribulations, it was important after I’d come in that we set the record straight,” Evatt said.
“We are here to make a mark. I think Eoin Doyle has sent a shockwave around that shows Bolton means business again. We have pressed the reset button and that is the message we want to send.
“From a head coach’s perspective you are always looking to add goals to your team and most of the time teams are only as good as their strikers.
“Boil the whole game down and it’s a case of scoring more than the opposition do, so someone like Eoin is going to be invaluable to us.”
Evatt has also warned free agents who have been earmarked by the club in the last few weeks that finances at Bolton will remain strictly under control.
“We’re not here to dish out money,” he added. “We’re identifying targets strategically and working very, very hard to pick players we feel can take the club forward. It’s not a cash cow.”
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