Upwardly mobile Wanderers are going just one way, according to Jermaine Beckford, who has now put his and the team’s slow start to the season in the past.
Seven games unbeaten and now free from the shackles of a winless run at home, the runway appears to be clear for take-off for Dougie Freedman’s rejuvenated side.
They remain 17th heading into this weekend’s game at Watford – a lasting remnant of a worst start for more than 100 years, which also proved a barren spell for the former Leicester City striker.
But with four goals in his last five games, the summer signing is hoping the worst is over and that Wanderers fans can now look forward to the rest of the season.
“It’s been about perseverance, persistence and doing the right things,” he said. “I wish I could take credit for our run but the team is obviously much bigger than myself.
“Bolton have been slow starters the last few seasons. I think someone said to me that in February last season Bolton were in 18th and then they almost got into the play-offs.
“We’ve at least got a bit of a head start in that, hopefully we will be able to continue this run and push on.
“I hope to be here for a long time, fingers crossed, and have some kind of input in getting Bolton promoted. That would be great.”
Beckford took 10 Championship games to get off the mark, although he did score against Tranmere Rovers in the Captial One Cup defeat in August.
Freedman’s faith in his striker never wavered and neither did Beckford’s insistence that he would get on a scoring run eventually.
And the 29-year-old reckons he is now a more complete player than he was the last time he played in the Premier League with Everton.
“I am a better player than the one that went to Everton,” he said in an interview with the Football League Paper. “I learnt a lot. I was a quite erratic as a youngster and at Leeds I was quite selfish, trying to take everyone on when perhaps it wasn’t the best option.
“I came up against great players, the best in the world and the things I used to do before wouldn’t work against these guys.
“It was about trying to find new ways of doing things, beating players and scoring goals. But it was something that excited me and still does.”
Seven games unbeaten and now free from the shackles of a winless run at home, the runway appears to be clear for take-off for Dougie Freedman’s rejuvenated side.
They remain 17th heading into this weekend’s game at Watford – a lasting remnant of a worst start for more than 100 years, which also proved a barren spell for the former Leicester City striker.
But with four goals in his last five games, the summer signing is hoping the worst is over and that Wanderers fans can now look forward to the rest of the season.
“It’s been about perseverance, persistence and doing the right things,” he said. “I wish I could take credit for our run but the team is obviously much bigger than myself.
“Bolton have been slow starters the last few seasons. I think someone said to me that in February last season Bolton were in 18th and then they almost got into the play-offs.
“We’ve at least got a bit of a head start in that, hopefully we will be able to continue this run and push on.
“I hope to be here for a long time, fingers crossed, and have some kind of input in getting Bolton promoted. That would be great.”
Beckford took 10 Championship games to get off the mark, although he did score against Tranmere Rovers in the Captial One Cup defeat in August.
Freedman’s faith in his striker never wavered and neither did Beckford’s insistence that he would get on a scoring run eventually.
And the 29-year-old reckons he is now a more complete player than he was the last time he played in the Premier League with Everton.
“I am a better player than the one that went to Everton,” he said in an interview with the Football League Paper. “I learnt a lot. I was a quite erratic as a youngster and at Leeds I was quite selfish, trying to take everyone on when perhaps it wasn’t the best option.
“I came up against great players, the best in the world and the things I used to do before wouldn’t work against these guys.
“It was about trying to find new ways of doing things, beating players and scoring goals. But it was something that excited me and still does.”
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