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Wanderers boss Ian Evatt reckons Kieran Sadlier is more suited to playing as a wing-back compared to his time at Rotherham.
Sadlier played in the role against Wigan over the weekend while Declan John was absent due to injury.
Evatt admits it is not the 27-year-old's natural position but is delighted with his effort in recent weeks.
The Bolton chief insists Sadlier will still get opportunities to run at defenders and show what he can do in the role.
“Kieran is a wonderful lad and has never moaned. He still gets a lot of the ball in that position,” he told The Bolton News. “It is not his natural position, he is more of a number 10 or a winger, or he can play as the nine even.
“He is helping us out while we recover some injuries. He is doing the best he can and I think he is doing really well.
“We prefer attacking players in those areas because of the make up of the team and what we are trying to do.
“It suits him really to play there – he will still get lots of one-v-one situations, which he likes. On Saturday, obviously the emphasis was a bit more defensively and at times that can find him out because he is more of a natural attacking player.
“But I thought his attitude was first class and in the second half he came into it more. There are lots of positives there and as I said, he is doing the best he can given he is being played out of position.
“He has said that playing wing-back for us is completely different to playing wing-back for (Rotherham).
“He gets a lot more of the ball, a lot more situations where he is on the last line, natural positions for him. He is probably suited to our system more than Rotherham in that role.”
With John unlikely to return for tonight’s clash with Portsmouth at the UniBol, Sadlier could be used as a wing-back once again.
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