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Ian Evatt insists ‘keeper Billy Crellin still has the opportunity to force his way back into his thinking at Wanderers.
Lukas Jensen’s loan arrival from Burnley on deadline-day effectively means the Fleetwood youngster is third choice at the UniBol, veteran player-coach Matt Gilks having dusted off the gloves to take over as No.1 back in November.
It was thought Crellin’s season-long loan deal would be cut short in January but with several keepers on Fleetwood’s books, and a managerial change seeing Simon Grayson replace Joey Barton, the 20-year-old will be with Wanderers until the end of the season.
Crellin has not played for Bolton since the Papa John’s Trophy win against Newcastle in November and has not even been on the bench for some games with Evatt electing to go without a back-up keeper on occasion.
The boss however maintains that having remained in the building, the England youth international simply has to relish the competition.
“As I said before, every day is an opportunity to impress and improve,” Evatt said.
“Billy has to see that and take it. Just because he is not in the picture at the moment and we have brought Lukas in doesn’t mean he can’t have an opportunity moving forward.
“I will never shut the door on anyone but you have to earn the right and show me every day in training that you are the best player and leave me with no choice.
“That is the attitude he has to have. Make it impossible for me to ignore you, and that goes for everyone else who isn’t in the team as well.
“It doesn’t mean train well for one day, it means backing it up day to day and week to week because eventually I will have to let you into the team.”
One player who did see his loan cut short was Tom White, the midfielder returning to Blackburn Rovers having fallen down the pecking order.
The 23-year-old played in Evatt’s promotion-winning side at Barrow but failed to nail down a spot in his Wanderers side and yesterday moved back to the top tier of non-league with a loan move to Hartlepool.
“I think the world of Tom and he had an excellent season with me at Barrow,” the Bolton boss said.
“He came and started pre-season really well and maybe sometimes when the club and the team is under-performing and the strange season it has been with no fans, Tom has suffered with that and lost form and confidence.
“He is still a really young lad and he lost his way a little bit, couldn’t get it back. Sometimes it happens in football and you learn lessons.
“Not every move is a success, you are not going to get every bit of recruitment right and that didn’t work but Tom is an exceptionally talented player and I am sure he will come again and be stronger.
“For us it didn’t work out and We felt he was better moving on and getting regular football elsewhere. He wanted that himself, credit to him.”
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Lukas Jensen’s loan arrival from Burnley on deadline-day effectively means the Fleetwood youngster is third choice at the UniBol, veteran player-coach Matt Gilks having dusted off the gloves to take over as No.1 back in November.
It was thought Crellin’s season-long loan deal would be cut short in January but with several keepers on Fleetwood’s books, and a managerial change seeing Simon Grayson replace Joey Barton, the 20-year-old will be with Wanderers until the end of the season.
Crellin has not played for Bolton since the Papa John’s Trophy win against Newcastle in November and has not even been on the bench for some games with Evatt electing to go without a back-up keeper on occasion.
The boss however maintains that having remained in the building, the England youth international simply has to relish the competition.
“As I said before, every day is an opportunity to impress and improve,” Evatt said.
“Billy has to see that and take it. Just because he is not in the picture at the moment and we have brought Lukas in doesn’t mean he can’t have an opportunity moving forward.
“I will never shut the door on anyone but you have to earn the right and show me every day in training that you are the best player and leave me with no choice.
“That is the attitude he has to have. Make it impossible for me to ignore you, and that goes for everyone else who isn’t in the team as well.
“It doesn’t mean train well for one day, it means backing it up day to day and week to week because eventually I will have to let you into the team.”
One player who did see his loan cut short was Tom White, the midfielder returning to Blackburn Rovers having fallen down the pecking order.
The 23-year-old played in Evatt’s promotion-winning side at Barrow but failed to nail down a spot in his Wanderers side and yesterday moved back to the top tier of non-league with a loan move to Hartlepool.
“I think the world of Tom and he had an excellent season with me at Barrow,” the Bolton boss said.
“He came and started pre-season really well and maybe sometimes when the club and the team is under-performing and the strange season it has been with no fans, Tom has suffered with that and lost form and confidence.
“He is still a really young lad and he lost his way a little bit, couldn’t get it back. Sometimes it happens in football and you learn lessons.
“Not every move is a success, you are not going to get every bit of recruitment right and that didn’t work but Tom is an exceptionally talented player and I am sure he will come again and be stronger.
“For us it didn’t work out and We felt he was better moving on and getting regular football elsewhere. He wanted that himself, credit to him.”
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