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Declan John looks unlikely to benefit from Jack Iredale’s injury misfortune at Wanderers.
The Wales international has been widely tipped to leave Bolton in January after struggling to get regular football this season.
The news that Iredale could be out for up to four months with a knee injury raised the prospect that he could challenge Owen Beck, Gethin Jones or Kieran Sadlier for a wing-back spot against Plymouth Argyle this weekend – but the signing of Randell Williams from Hull City appears to have pushed him even further to the periphery.
Asked about the defender’s current status, Ian Evatt said he would not stand in the defender’s way if the right offer came along this month.
“Declan John’s situation has not changed,” he said. “At the moment he is still a Bolton Wanderers player and training with the group and he needs to work hard to get back into the team.
“But if something else becomes available for Declan that he is interested in, then obviously we will take a look at it as things evolve.
“We have had a lot of interest in Declan, of course we have, he is a good player.
“As I said, for now there is nothing to speak of other than he’s a Bolton player. He’ll keep going with that until it changes.”
John made a big impact at Wanderers two years ago, helping Evatt’s side surge up the table post-January to claim an automatic promotion spot in League Two.
Last season he started 36 of the last 37 games in all competitions but the arrival of Iredale and Beck in the summer window has limited his chances this time around.
“I just don’t think he has been as consistent as he was last year – and as I said before, last year I think we were targeted down that side and we needed a different type of wing-back to combat that,” Evatt explained.
“It is not a slight on Declan, he has played games, he actually started the first game I believe.
“It’s a funny old adage that people say, ‘managers pick teams,’ but in my experience, they don’t. Players pick teams with their performances. That remains the case.”
Evatt maintains that Williams’ signing, confirmed on Thursday, has not been rushed through because of Iredale’s injury.
The former Exeter City wing-back had been told he could leave Hull City by manager Liam Rosenior but had been in Evatt’s thoughts for a number of months.
“The deal was already done before Jack’s injury,” he said. “Randell was watching the game on Monday and we have managed to keep it quiet. I haven’t seen it leaked anywhere, which makes a difference because this place has been pretty leaky over the years.
“It was important we did that because there was quite a lot of other offers on the table for him, so I am pleased we managed to get it done.
“He looked razor sharp in training this morning but he is one that will have to be built up to the required fitness. He hasn’t played a great deal since October – some reserve/23s games but not ones that are at the same intensity we play at.
“He is raring to go, of course, and he is an exciting talent.”
Williams has only started one game in the Championship this season, with a further six appearances as a substitute. He featured more frequently last season, however, and Evatt is confident he will fit into the system in a similar way to Conor Bradley.
“He has had some good games in the Championship,” he said. “We have watched him and his attributes are what we want and require. They are hard to find, too, the blistering pace, dribbling quality, crossing ability from the left side, but also the attitude to want defend and do the ugly side is really important. He is an exciting talent and I am looking forward to working with him.”
Williams could become the seventh player to occupy the left wing-back berth this season, joining John, Beck, Iredale, Gethin Jones, Dapo Afolayan and Kieran Sadlier.
Iredale has featured in the majority of games and Evatt feels his contribution has helped Wanderers look defensively stronger this season.
“You only have to look at our defensive record and the number of clean sheets that we have kept,” he said. “I don’t feel that teams are targeting that left side as much as they did last year.
“We needed to make adjustments and I think Jack has coped really well.
“He is not the blistering, attacking threat that Conor is but he has great quality with his left foot, can build from deeper and he is a different type of left wing-back.
“Jack is a hybrid type that can play left-sided centre-back, which you have seen at times, Randell is more the Conor Bradley mould – electric pace, dynamic, runs inside and creates good angles. Ideally we want to mirror the threat that Conor gives us down that left. That’s the plan.”
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