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Gethin Jones has vowed to repay Ian Evatt’s faith after signing a new two-year deal with Wanderers.
The consistent full-back, who featured 40 times in all competitions last season, revealed earlier this month that he was due an extra year on his contract after an appearance-related clause had been triggered.
But speaking to The Bolton News, Jones revealed that Evatt pushed for an extra 12 months to repay his efforts in getting Bolton back into League One at the first time of asking.
“I really wanted to stay, it’s a massive club,” he said. “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather play and be able to climb up the leagues, to be honest.
“I had a clause in my contract for an extra year that was triggered after the Oldham away game, it was that long ago, but we didn’t say anything.
“The gaffer then spoke to me and said they weren’t just going to extend, it would be a new contract on a two-year deal, so I was absolutely made up.”
Jones proved a reliable customer for Evatt last season, filling in on both sides of defence and missing only a handful of games through injury.
The former Everton defender has now seen his hard work pay off with an extended deal – and he hopes to be able to show he was worth the investment when Bolton get back into action in August.
“I don’t think you see a lot of it in football these days because if a club can just add the extra year, deal with it down the line, they normally will,” he said.
“The gaffer has always said to me that if I worked hard I’d get my reward. And for me it’s the first time in my whole career that I have had a manager who really likes the way I play, believes in me. Obviously, I will repay him with whatever he wants me to do on a matchday.
“I’ve played in two – maybe four – positions this season, right-back, left-back, wing-backs, whatever. I just tried to put everything I had into every training session, every game, and the gaffer has seen something because I am made up.”
Jones also scored his first senior league goals of his career last season, including an important winner against Port Vale.
The 25-year-old believes his game has improved dramatically since coming to Lancashire from Carlisle United last season – but he knows there are also areas in which he needs to improve.
“Listen, I know I need to improve a lot more in what I’m doing in the final third,” he said. “But as the season went on I felt I was getting more into those positions, getting assists. I hadn’t scored a league goal before I came to Bolton and all of a sudden I picked out three in the same season.
“I know in myself when I get into those advanced positions on the pitch that I need to pick people out a little bit more but it will come. The more I play, the more I’ll know where the likes of Doyler will be in the box.
“It was always going to be a bit difficult at first, it was 20-odd new players as we’ve said many times, it took a while to bed down for everyone.
“As the season went on, we all improved and eventually we were unplayable.”
Source
The consistent full-back, who featured 40 times in all competitions last season, revealed earlier this month that he was due an extra year on his contract after an appearance-related clause had been triggered.
But speaking to The Bolton News, Jones revealed that Evatt pushed for an extra 12 months to repay his efforts in getting Bolton back into League One at the first time of asking.
“I really wanted to stay, it’s a massive club,” he said. “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather play and be able to climb up the leagues, to be honest.
“I had a clause in my contract for an extra year that was triggered after the Oldham away game, it was that long ago, but we didn’t say anything.
“The gaffer then spoke to me and said they weren’t just going to extend, it would be a new contract on a two-year deal, so I was absolutely made up.”
Jones proved a reliable customer for Evatt last season, filling in on both sides of defence and missing only a handful of games through injury.
The former Everton defender has now seen his hard work pay off with an extended deal – and he hopes to be able to show he was worth the investment when Bolton get back into action in August.
“I don’t think you see a lot of it in football these days because if a club can just add the extra year, deal with it down the line, they normally will,” he said.
“The gaffer has always said to me that if I worked hard I’d get my reward. And for me it’s the first time in my whole career that I have had a manager who really likes the way I play, believes in me. Obviously, I will repay him with whatever he wants me to do on a matchday.
“I’ve played in two – maybe four – positions this season, right-back, left-back, wing-backs, whatever. I just tried to put everything I had into every training session, every game, and the gaffer has seen something because I am made up.”
Jones also scored his first senior league goals of his career last season, including an important winner against Port Vale.
The 25-year-old believes his game has improved dramatically since coming to Lancashire from Carlisle United last season – but he knows there are also areas in which he needs to improve.
“Listen, I know I need to improve a lot more in what I’m doing in the final third,” he said. “But as the season went on I felt I was getting more into those positions, getting assists. I hadn’t scored a league goal before I came to Bolton and all of a sudden I picked out three in the same season.
“I know in myself when I get into those advanced positions on the pitch that I need to pick people out a little bit more but it will come. The more I play, the more I’ll know where the likes of Doyler will be in the box.
“It was always going to be a bit difficult at first, it was 20-odd new players as we’ve said many times, it took a while to bed down for everyone.
“As the season went on, we all improved and eventually we were unplayable.”
Source