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Pre-season now looks a lot different for Matt Gilks after hanging up his boots but the is relishing his new role at Wanderers.
Gilks stepped down from his playing duties last season to become a full-time goalkeeping coach after an impressive 20-year career.
The 40-year-old has been working with Joel Dixon, Luke Hutchinson and Ellis Litherland at the club’s training camp in Portugal over the past week.
“It’s very different for me,” he said. “Obviously planning, evaluating, making sure they are getting the right details and marrying up with the other staff in terms of what they need to do and where their levels need to be at.
"It’s interesting, it’s different and it’s full on. It’s gone really well so far, the lads are in really good spirits.
"It is brilliant for young Luke and Ellis as well to experience their first pre-season with the pros. They are realising now what it takes to be at the top.”
Gilks played an important role as Wanderers won promotion from League Two during the 2020/21 campaign, making 35 appearances in total.
The goalkeeper admits he didn’t expect to be playing regularly when he arrived at the UniBol and always had ambitions to go into coaching.
He added: “It was unexpected so that made it even nicer. I wasn’t coming here to play.
“When I joined they said I was always going to be a back-up. That went on into (last season) as well. I helped, I did my job and we achieved what we wanted to do.
“Obviously, I had a knee wash out at the end of that season so that put me back. But (the plan) was always to be a back-up.
“I think it got to a point where even I was saying to the gaffer, ‘we need to go and get some keepers who can get us to where we want to be. I am not always going to be the answer’.
“It was always my intention to finish and take up this role full-time.”
Ahead of the upcoming campaign, Wanderers have re-signed England Under-21 international James Trafford on loan from Manchester City.
Trafford became a key player during the second half of last season as the Whites finished ninth in League One.
“It's a big signing,” said Gilks. “I think if we can get a full season out of him playing like he did last year - and hopefully he can improve under me and the staff here - he is a great addition.
“The fans took to him, we took to him. He is a great character as well. He is a bit of a throwback actually, he is a bit like myself.
“We are looking forward to having him back and it makes it easier that he’s had already been last year. He will just hopefully carry on from where he left off.”
Heading into the new season, Gilks is hopeful Wanderers can push on from their form since the turn of the year and reckons it is an “exciting” time at the club.
“We finished the season strongly last year and it’s a shame we couldn’t sneak into the play-offs,” he added.
“But this year we are obviously aiming for promotion – there are no two ways about that. Play-offs minimum, hopefully we don’t have to and again go straight up.
“But it’s going to be a tough year. The league is getting tougher and the players are getting better, fitter and younger.
“We know there are challenges along the way but we think we are geared up. We have got a strong squad, good staff in place and it is exciting times for the football club.”
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