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Cameron Jerome has not come to Bolton Wanderers to be an impact substitute, says Ian Evatt.
The experienced front man joined from Luton Town in January but has yet to start a game for the Whites after struggling to overcome a back injury.
Jerome returned to the squad last week and looked sharp coming off the bench against Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday, pushing a claim to play against Plymouth Argyle in the Papa Johns Trophy final.
The 36-year-old had been exclusively used as a substitute in his time at Luton in the Championship but has stated his intention to earn a starting spot under Evatt after signing an 18-month contract.
He is also one of only three strikes who are not cup-tied for the Wembley final, pitting him up against Dion Charles and Elias Kachunga for a place in the side.
Asked if he felt Jerome would command a starting spot before the end of the season, Evatt told The Bolton News: “I absolutely do.
“Cameron is a really good player, so intelligent and strong. His movement and his knowledge of the other players, being on the pitch to help guide them, is really important for us.
“We are delighted to have him back in the group and hopefully we can keep him available for the rest of the season now because he can be a really important player for us.”
With the exception of their quartet of international players, Wanderers return to the to the training ground this morning after a couple of days off to begin preparations for the Papa Johns Trophy final.
They will play a warm-up friendly on Friday to assess the fitness of George Johnston and MJ Williams, who have both recently returned from injury, and also give the likes of Jerome, George Thomason and Randell Williams some valuable game time.
A commendable draw at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday has lightened the tone in the build-up to the final and the eight league games that lie beyond for the Whites.
Evatt says the display at Hillsborough should now be the benchmark for what is in store for the rest of the campaign.
“I agree that the mood on the outside will be better but inside the group, we have had to focus on the process and the performance,” he said.
“We believe that if we go down the right process, we’ll get the right performances and pick up points because we back how good we are as a team.
“I was really proud of what we put into that, and that is a lot for us to build on.
“It has to be a platform now. At times in the last few weeks we have been a bit inconsistent, we haven’t been reliable enough in possession and we have allowed the ball to be turned over far too many times, which has left us vulnerable.
“But the way we used the ball, particularly in the second half (against Sheffield Wednesday) was the team that we want to be. I am really proud of that.”
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