RICARDO Santos is playing his best football ever, according to manager Ian Evatt.

The Wanderers captain has played every minute of the season to date, helping to protect three consecutive clean sheets.

Santos has been named in the EFL’s team of the year in each of his three seasons under Evatt and has racked up 133 appearances along the way.

But the Bolton boss reckons his defender is now in the shape of his life and coming to personify the leaner, meaner approach introduced over the summer.

“I think as a team we have more athleticism, dynamism, speed, and we are able to get around people quicker at the moment,” said Evatt, reflecting on his unbeaten start.

“We are just really fortunate to have Rico at the back who, for me, is an incredible player.

“For him, again, it is just concentration. He is 28 now and what we are seeing from him this season is him growing into that leadership role even more, taking better care of himself off the pitch, eating the right foods, doing the right things off the pitch to recover because he is so important for us. He plays so many minutes we need to keep making sure he recovers in the correct way – and that is a 24-seven job.

“He has bought into that a lot more this season.”

Nathan Baxter faces Fleetwood on Tuesday night looking to preserve his excellent start in a Bolton shirt. Already halfway towards the record four consecutive clean sheets that his predecessor James Trafford made at the start of his first loan spell with the club, Baxter could become only the second keeper to get three in a row with the right result tonight.

Evatt has been impressed by the former Chelsea stopper and fellow new arrival Joel Coleman, who stepped in against Barrow in the Carabao Cup last week to keep another clean sheet.

“He is really driven and focussed,” Evatt said of Baxter. “He knows what he wants and what he doesn’t want.

“I think Matt Gilks is doing a fantastic job with both of them, Nathan and Joel.

“It has been a seamless transition. There were big boots to fill, of course, but I am delighted for them both.

“We are not going to get carried away – nothing gets given out in August – and while they have made a good start there is a long old season to go. We will keep our heads down and work hard.”