Aaron Wilbraham has revealed how his move to Wanderers came about and Phil Parkinson’s hands-on approach with new signings.
The forward made the move to Bolton in the summer of 2017 following a three-year stay at Bristol City.
Wilbraham says he had been offered a significant pay cut at Ashton Gate due to his age, despite still being a regular on the pitch. He had also been keen to move back to the North West to be with his family.
Mark Little, who had just joined the Whites from City, initially suggested that the move could be a good fit for all parties.
The club was under an embargo at that stage due to problems off the pitch but could still bring in players on free transfers.
“Lee Johnson, the manager at the time, had been in the same position as a player when he was up in Scotland,” Wilbraham said on " target="_blank" class="link"> The Wanderers Way Podcast.
“He said it was nothing personal, it was the club’s decision. But if anything came up where I could move back with my girls – my daughter and wife were living in Wilmslow – then I could go on a free, I had his word.
“Knowing I was turning 38, he probably thought that would be Morecambe, Bury, Rochdale or something like that. He probably wasn’t expecting it to be Bolton in the same league, rivals.
“Mark Little had signed here that same summer and was messaging me saying, ‘We’re desperate for a target man and having all these trialists from Finland and Norway. You need to get your agent on it, we’re not allowed to sign people but we can take them on frees’.
“I told my agent to speak to Bolton. I had been playing in the Championship for Bristol and surely they would take a punt… coming back home, I’m a Manchester lad.
“My agent came back to me and said they were really keen, and it came about from that.”
The striker recalled being put through his paces with Parkinson, Steve Parkin and Lee Butler at the training ground before the move was finalised.
“I met the gaffer, Phil Parkinson, and Steve Parkin at the training ground. I did a bit of a medical with them and had never had that before,” he continued.
“I was taken out on the training field for a bit of a session. Butts was in goal and Parky was whipping balls into me.
“It was like, ‘Let’s see if you can get hold of the ball and score goals’. Butts said to me they had done that with every player they signed and that was the best anyone had done. I feel like I did really well and signed a one-year deal.”
Wilbraham only spent a year at Bolton but every supporter will remember his dramatic late winner against Nottingham Forest as Parkinson’s side avoided relegation by the slimmest of margins.
The forward described the goal as the best moment of his career after nodding home Adam Le Fondre’s cross.
He smiled: “When Wheats (David Wheater) bobbled that equaliser in off his shin in the 86th minute I was thinking, ‘It’s not over, let’s keep going’.
“Just the way that 88th minute goal came… Mark Howard, long goal kick, Karl Henry flicks it on and I see Alfie run into the channel.
“I had played with him at Stockport as a young lad and was thinking, ‘He’s running too fast for it to be a stand up, it will have to be a whip across the front’.
“The defender checked to see if he had me, he was in a good position. As he looked back, I just thought, ‘I’m gone, I’m going to get in that space and if the cross comes, happy days’.
“It came but it seemed to take forever and I knew it had to be a slight glance. Even after I’d headed it, it seemed to take five seconds to go in! Just seeing it nestle in the bottom corner and hearing the noise…”
