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Nathan Baxter didn’t take long to convince Ian Evatt that he was the man to take the number one jersey at Wanderers.
Bolton were searching for James Trafford’s replacement and weighing up options in the summer transfer market before getting the opportunity to sit down and talk with the former Chelsea stopper.
Evatt says the 25-year-old’s ambitious talk left him in no doubt which way to go.
“That was the one thing that struck me in the summer,” he told The Bolton News.
“Nathan was on our shortlist from minute one but we did speak to other keepers, that is the honest truth, just to get a feel for everything that was available and everything that was around us.
“And Nathan, right away, said he wanted the job. He wanted to be the one who took over from Traff, he wanted to be the one to grow into those boots and show everyone what he can do.
“He believes in his ability, so it was a no brainer once we had talked to him.
“He came to the club, and he hasn’t made much noise. He is quite unassuming, he is humble, he works hard and wants detail. He is really inquisitive and likes to take information on board, likes to hear coaching points, he is always asking questions.
“I like to be challenged as a coach because I think it brings the best out in me. It helps me help them learn.
“I have watched him go from strength to strength and it is brilliant that we own him, that he is ours, and we need to keep working hard to keep improving him because I really do think he can go to the top.”
FA Cup hero Baxter has been showered with praise for his performance against Luton Town – and said at the weekend that signing for Bolton was the “best decision” he has made in his career to date.
Evatt says goalkeeper coach Matt Gilks has also played a big part in his success since arriving in the North West.
“Matt is a brilliant coach and that is why I brought him here,” he said. “If you look at the majority of my staff, I didn’t really know any of them. it isn’t the type of thing that I do, I don’t bring friends in for the sake of it. I only bring people in if I think they can do the job and are additive to what we do.
“Gillo is top class. The way he trained as a player was incredible, so intense, and he always got the best out of himself. He is doing that now with our other goalkeepers, which is top class.”
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