CRAIG Davies says the changing room environment at Wanderers was the best he experienced throughout his career.

Davies joined the Whites from Barnsley in January 2013, becoming Dougie Freedman’s first permanent signing since taking charge.

The forward spent two-and-a-half years at the UniBol - including a loan spell with Wolves - before going on to play for Wigan and Oldham among others.

Davies revealed he turned down an approach from Freedman’s former club Crystal Palace to join Wanderers.

“I had a couple (of offers). There was interest from Wolves - but I didn’t really want to go back there at that time - Palace and Bolton,” he told Under the Cosh Podcast.

“Palace wanted to sign me in the summer when Dougie was manager there but they didn’t want to pay the extra money.

“He ended up going to Bolton and I had been doing quite well at the time, he wanted to sign me.

“I went to the training ground at Bolton and then Palace wanted me to go there. They said they would give me more money.

“I got a massive opportunity at a football club that has just come down from the Premier League and I thought to myself, ‘I’m not going to be greedy’.”

Davies has lots of positive things to say about his time in the North West and insists it had a big impact on his personal life.

He added: “I made that decision and I don’t regret it. I went to Bolton and it changed everything, it changed my life.

“I loved the area. I met some unbelievable people, it is probably the best dressing room I have been in in my whole career.

“Chris Eagles, Mark Davies, Dave Wheater, a couple of the younger boys like Rob Lainton.

“A couple of the senior ones like Stuart Holden, Zat Knight – a great guy who took me under his wing and showed me a lot.”


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