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Dion Charles reckons he will thrive under added promotion pressure next season.
Wanderers have only just waved goodbye to a League One campaign in which they collected 73 points – but still missed out on the play-offs by a distance.
The squad is now focussed on improving that total next time around and continue a run of post-January form which was virtually unmatched in the division.
Ian Evatt is expected to add extra quality to his squad this summer and already looks in pole position to bring left-sided defender Jack Iredale in from Cambridge United.
Charles knows there will be increased belief around Bolton – and he says it should bring the best out of players, rather than hamper them.
“We are one of the big clubs,” he said. “There is an expectation at this club and if you can’t deal with that then you are in the wrong sport.
“As a club, we should be winning games, we need to win games, so it’s something that I thrive on. I’m a winner and I want to win.”
“We know what we need to do next season. We were talking in the dressing room and have already set our goals. We will be doing everything we can to fulfil them.”
Charles scored twice on the final weekend of the season to finish on eight since arriving at the UniBol from Accrington Stanley in January.
And though he went nearly a dozen goals without scoring before the Fleetwood game, the Northern Ireland international still got praise from the Bolton fans for his work-rate.
“It helps all the boys,” he said. “It makes us get up the pitch and I’m a team player so I’ll do everything I can while I’m playing for the boys out there, as they will for me.
“We’ve got a really good group. Everyone just wants to win for one another and we’ll do whatever we can.
“My job is to score goals, run around and that’s the minimum that I’ll give while I’m here at this club. I’ll work my hardest.
“But I’ve said it a few times, the fans are unbelievable here. They can be our extra man. Some teams when they come here, it can be very daunting for them so we just need to use them to our advantage.”
Charles came to Bolton lacking match fitness, having been frozen out of the first team picture at Accrington.
He is now looking forward to a full pre-season schedule with Bolton, which begins in mid-June, after which he feels the Whites supporters will see even more from him.
“That’s it,” he said. “I have had my bedding in period now. It’s going to be good to get a full pre-season in me and we can work on things because our schedule has been really tough with Saturday-Tuesdays, so we haven’t had that many training sessions to get across how the gaffer wants to play for me personally, so it’s going to be good in pre-season.
“It’s time now to rest up and get ourselves, our body and minds prepared.”
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