IAN Evatt says Eoin Doyle will leave Wanderers on good terms – if he chooses to head back to finish his career back home in Ireland.

The 33-year-okd striker, who scored his eighth goal of the season in a 2-1 defeat at Rotherham United on Saturday, is considering options from at least one Irish Premier League side, believed to be St Patrick’s Athletic.

Two League Two clubs have also monitored Doyle’s situation closely but have yet to make a formal offer to sign him.

Doyle was top scorer at Bolton last season, becoming the first player in almost two decades to score more than a dozen goals in a single campaign.

Evatt said he would not stand in the Dubliner’s way if he decided to return home but has already added Dion Charles to his attacking ranks and confirmed that he will be bringing in at least one more striker this month.

“Eoin will always be a player - while he is still a player - that is wanted by other people,” he said. “His goalscoring record is outstanding in every division and what we have said to Eoin from day one is that we will do anything we can to support what he does.

“Obviously there’s a lot of speculation about Irish teams. Eoin is an Irish lad, his family is Irish.

“It was always the plan to move home, so there are conversations taking place but nothing has been finalised at all yet.

“The one thing we are certainly never going to do is push Eoin Doyle out of the door. If he leaves, it will be on good terms and on his terms and we respect what he’s done for us and what he’s done for me.

“That’s the bottom line and where we are at the moment.”

Doyle’s Bolton career record to date totals 71 appearances in all competitions, with 26 goals – 18 of which were scored in 2021.

Reports over the last week have suggested he is discussing a deal with Wanderers over the remainder of his contract to sign for a club in the Irish Premier League.

Wanderers hope to bring another player in before Tuesday night’s game at Hartlepool with Fulham’s American right-back Marlon Fossey linked strongly with a loan move.

Evatt said he wants at least three more players to supplement the squad and what he hopes will be a more dynamic and effective attacking style in the New Year, some of which was on show at Rotherham.

“We are going to have an exciting crop, that’s for certain,” he said. “All the players we have are of a good age. The work ethic in and out of possession, especially from the wide ones in Dapo and Kacha was outstanding.

“We are just trying to add more pace and energy to the team and to the group to be honest and we’re going to do that.

“Dion is the first one over the line. We have another one who is more or less agreed, who will hopefully be in on Monday to play on Tuesday, and then we have identified probably three more that we would like to bring in which will help us and make us better.

“We know we are light in midfield for certain and probably light of another striker so that’s what will be happening, that’s the plan.

“We are going to try our hardest to get it over the line as quickly as possible, but in this Covid world we’re living in at the moment, teams are looking to hang on to bodies and players as long as they possibly can, but we’re active.

“The board have done magnificently supporting me and us and it is now time to develop this team into Bolton Wanderers 2.0, really.

“It’s the next stage of our development. That’s where we’re at and this is what we’re trying to do.” 

SUBSCRIBE now to The Bolton News for unlimited articles, lighter advertising, reader offers and much, much more. Click here to find out how to help trusted local journalism.