ANDREW Taylor may have arrived late to the Wanderers party – but he plans to be there until the bitter end.

Signed on a loan just a few days before the win at AFC Wimbledon last month and bundled aboard the team bus for a hasty debut, the experienced full-back has been playing catch-up since arriving at the Macron.

And while Dean Moxey’s steady form has restricted Taylor to just one start so far, in the Checkatrade Trophy, he feels by edging towards full fitness the defender is determined to be ready when Phil Parkinson gives him the nod in League One.

“It has been a bit of a settling in period for me, I guess, but wherever I go I want to be playing football,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate for me that I have come at a period where I have not had much time to get myself into the mix and the boys are doing well at the minute.

“I’m not too great at being patient! That said, though, I know I’ve got to because the lads have been doing really well early in the season and all I can do is be ready when the manager calls on me.

“Had I been here during pre-season then things could have been different but that’s the nature of football and every footballer knows it’s not always plain sailing.

“It was always going to be a bit of a catch-up for me but each day I am training I am working hard, feeling fitter, and I’ll be ready and waiting to be called upon.”

Wanderers welcome MK Dons at the weekend looking to keep their advantage at the top of the League One table.

Successive draws against Charlton Athletic and Southend United have brought out a degree of frustration in the Whites’ camp but with some stern tests on the horizon in September Taylor feels it is important to keep the positive vibes flowing.

Parkinson’s former club Bradford City are next up at the Macron after Karl Robinson’s Dons, who were relegated at the same time as Wanderers last season.

Taylor believes Bolton are now a different prospect, however, after chalking up some impressive early wins.

“The sides we have played so far have been a different kind of challenge, with two of them just being promoted, but this month in particular will be a test for us,” he said. “It was so important to start well, especially after what happened last season. Even from the outside looking in last year it was clear to see that it was a confidence thing and that a few results would make the world of difference.

“When you do get that confidence it just radiates through the whole club and to the fans and makes for a happy place.”

Taylor had been side-lined by Wigan Athletic in pre-season but says he was on the verge of a recall to the Latics line-up on the day Wanderers made their official approach to loan him for the rest of the campaign.

His spell at Bolton will eat away the remainder of what was a fairly unhappy spell at the DW Stadium but the former Middlesbrough man hopes he can make enough of an impact on Parkinson to convince him to offer a longer deal somewhere down the line.

“I’m here on loan for the rest of the season but ultimately the future is in my hands,” he told the club’s match-day programme. “It’s down to me to impress and make my mark during my time here, potentially enough for the manager to think it’s worth keeping on board further down the line.

“I’m out of contract with Wigan next summer but I am not looking that far ahead.

“The only thing I am focussing on at the moment is helping Bolton be successful and I think that as a group of players and management, there’s only one thing to focus our mind and that’s to be in the mix for promotion come the end of the season.

“The fans will play a massive part in that too – coming to the club, I didn’t know what to expect in regards to the supporters but they turned out in their numbers for the first three long away games and they were absolutely outstanding.

“The boys have all spoken highly of how much the supporters stuck with the team last year during some turbulent times, so hopefully we can reward them this year and show our gratitude for their backing with wins.”