Kieran Lee is quite happy to take the foreman’s job in Wanderers’ midfield factory.

The 34-year-old has been used relatively sparingly by Ian Evatt so far this season, starting four of the seven games so far.

But Lee reckons the squad rotation system is helping him sustain his top form when he does get the opportunity, just as he showed in the weekend’s win against Charlton Athletic.

The former Sheffield Wednesday man missed the end of last season after an operation to remove a bone spur from his heel but now feels back in match shape.

“I’m over that (injury) and I feel fine. I feel as good as I always have,” he said.

“I’ve been in and out a little bit so far this season with rotating the team quite a lot, which is probably helping me, but every time I’ve been on the pitch I’ve felt it good.

“A lot of the lads here are young and building their careers, so it’s nice to help them and they can run for me I suppose!”

Lee also got plaudits for his performance in defeat against Aston Villa in last month’s televised Carabao Cup second round game.

Picked out by the pundits for his work against Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Phillipe Coutinho and Co, the publicity-shy Mancunian wasn’t about to blow his own trumpet when asked by the club about the game.

“It’s good to play against a Premier League side and I thought we gave a good account of ourselves for quite a long time in the game before their quality shone through in the end,” he said.

“I’m not very good with praise. I don’t like looking at myself but it’s nice to play well and with the game being on television.

“It is nice but I’m more about the team and we lost, so it wasn’t the perfect night in the end.” Wanderers celebrate 25 years in their current stadium this month – and though he was only a child when Colin Todd’s team first graced the pitch on which he currently plays, Lee can remember when it was still brand new.

“I was only nine, but I do remember them (United) coming to play in the stadium,” he said.

“It looked good and even now it still looks really well and is a nice stadium to play in.”

Lee is on the verge of his 50th league appearance for Bolton, having joined the club in League Two during Ian Evatt’s first season in charge.

After wearing the colours of Manchester United and Oldham previously, he says he is enjoying life on this side of Lancashire.

“It’s a big club. My girlfriend is from not far away from here and a lot of people she knows are Bolton fans.

“You seem to see them pop up everywhere, so it’s still a big club and we are aiming to keep pushing it that way.”