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Aaron Morley reckons he is unrecognisable from the player that walked through the doors at Wanderers nearly a year ago.
The young midfielder is bearing down on his first anniversary as a Bolton player, which has thus far produced 38 appearance and three goals.
Better known for his passing range and creativity, Morley says his big improvements under Ian Evatt’s tutelage have come in a defensive sense – and he is keen to learn more with the next round of January transfer window recruits just a month away.
“I think I am a completely different player since coming here,” he told The Bolton News. “I’ve added a few goals to my game, not loads, but a few, and now I need to improve more on the off-the-ball stuff, the defensive side.
“But the gaffer has really helped me with it. The whole staff have been brilliant with me.
“I know there will probably be a few players coming in next month so I have just got to keep my head down and work hard in training. Hopefully then I keep the shirt on a Saturday.”
Morley’s first aim will be to stay in the side for a Friday night, and the visit of Joey Barton’s newly promoted Bristol Rovers.
“They’re going to be a fighting team, especially with Joe Barton being the manager, they’re going to be right at it from the get-go, so we need to be as well,” he said.
Wanderers face six games in December in league and cup – albeit ones that are handily spread evenly across the month avoiding too much congestion.
They start 11 points behind second-placed Ipswich Town with a game in hand, and two points above the chasing play-off pack, among which Portsmouth also possess a game in hand.
Morley is looking up rather than down.
“It’s a busy period and it is usually an important one so hopefully we can pick up loads of results and claw the top two back,” he said.
“I think we have got five league games, we know our schedule, we have got the squad to handle it.
“And just at the moment we don’t know when to quit. We’ve been scoring lots of late goals but hopefully we can start putting a few games to bed a bit earlier, get a bit more rest!”
A few weeks ago at Fleetwood, Morley was part of the youngest team Ian Evatt has ever named in League One.
Liverpool loans Owen Beck and Conor Bradley, plus Manchester City’s exemplary keeper James Trafford, have made a big impact on the training ground this season as well as proving popular among the fans.
“Conor and Owen are just great pros, they never stop working every day,” Morley said. “They are always in the gym and they obviously want to get back into the Liverpool team, so they’re working everyday to impress both the Liverpool manager and our manager so they’re just non-stop everyday.
“Traff is exactly the same. He’s just non-stop all the time and hopefully one day he can wear that number one shirt for England and for City.”
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