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Randell Williams is feeling the benefit of a pre-season at Wanderers ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Williams joined from Hull City in the January window but had a difficult start to life at Bolton, having to play catch-up on the rest of the squad due to his lack of playing time during the first half of the campaign.
The 26-year-old has looked sharp in pre-season – particularly during the goalless draw against Everton on Tuesday night.
He has had plenty of minutes on the pitch in recent weeks and hopes it will pay off over the coming season as the Whites aim to build on last season’s fifth-place finish.
“It has been massive,” Williams told The Bolton News. “I didn’t play much last season so for me, getting this pre-season in was important.
“And just buying into what the gaffer wants from me specifically. I am just building and trying to get better every day.”
The former Hull man faced competition from Declan John during the second half of last season.
Jack Iredale, who missed the second half of last term after needing knee surgery, has also been used in the wing-back role at times.
Meanwhile, new signing Zac Ashworth – who has arrived on a loan deal from West Brom that could be made permanent down the line – featured in a more advanced role after coming off the bench on Tuesday night.
“The squad is always getting stronger,” Williams added. “That is our goal, we want to get promoted out of this league and that has been the goal from last season. We have just got to kick on.
“The new boys who have come in, we’ve got to give them some time to settle in. As you can see, Zac did really well (at Salford) so I am sure he will be fine.
“Competition is always good. Everyone wants to play football and you have got to fight for your place and be the best you can be.
“At the end of the day, we want to get promoted however we do it. I am sure the players that the gaffer has brought in will help us get there.”
The new season is right around the corner and there were plenty of positives to take from the display against the Toffees, who fielded a strong line-up during the opening 45 minutes.
Williams believes the squad is in a good place heading into the new campaign and hopes they can hit the ground running.
The wing-back says morale is strong in the dressing room and reckons it will stand them in good stead ahead of their curtain raiser against Lincoln City on Saturday, August 5.
“The boys always have a laugh every single day as best we can,” he said. “I think building a good environment at football clubs is so important on and off the pitch.
“We are constantly having conversations with each other on how to better ourselves. We have got a great group of lads here and I don’t have a problem with anyone.”
Team-mate Josh Dacres-Cogley recently spoke about his freedom to get forward and join the attack in Wanderers’ system, and it is something Williams is also relishing.
The 26-year-old caused the Everton backline plenty of problems with his crosses into the box and is eager to keep contributing in the final third.
“The gaffer wants us to have structure but he also allows us to rotate and have that freedom,” he explained. “We have just got to pick and choose when to use it really.”
Ian Evatt’s system also allows for a degree of flexibility in possession, with players occasionally swapping positions and covering for each other.
Williams hailed the tactical work Evatt has carried out on the training pitch and believes the squad is forming a good understanding.
“I think it is just from what we do on the training ground, we do a lot of tactical shape,” he continued. “The gaffer wants us to be on the same page.
“I think that is the main thing for our focus – that everyone knows where we are going to be, when we are going to go, when we need to press and we press together.
“It started on the training ground and we have got to build from that.”
Williams could be in action again tomorrow afternoon against West Brom as Evatt’s squad conclude their pre-season preparations at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
The Baggies finished ninth in the Championship last term, climbing up the table after Carlos Corberan took charge at the Hawthorns.
Earlier this week, the Midlands outfit brought in 21-year-old Ecuador international Jeremy Sarmiento on a season-long loan from Brighton.
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