AARON Collins might be playing a different role than he had expected at Wanderers – but he’s more than happy to be the leading man.

When Bolton shelled out £750,000 to bring in League One’s reigning player of the year from Bristol Rovers, the transfer was billed as one that could nudge them over the line in their automatic promotion push.

The script changed in February, however, when injuries decimated the spine of Ian Evatt’s side. Collins – previously more of a goal-maker than a goal-scorer – suddenly had to lean a different set of lines.

Now, as the season enters its final act, the 26-year-old feels he is becoming a more complete striker.

“I have definitely been learning,” he told The Bolton News. “For a lot of my career I have played number 10 and haven’t been relied upon to be a goal-scorer, other people have done that. But I realised about three or four years ago that I needed to know how to play nine and I came here believing I could do it if I was asked, and I think the results have been good.

“Scoring goals is what I was brought here to do. I’m a striker, I’ve scored eight so far, and I am hoping there are plenty more to come.”

Collins has also developed a knack of producing spectacular strikes, winning the club’s Goal of the Season award for his rasping effort against Reading but also catching the eye with other efforts against Port Vale and Oxford United.

Whilst Dion Charles has been Bolton’s go-to man for goals in the last couple of seasons, Collins is now hoping by settling in the North West and moving out of the hotel he has lived in since his transfer window move that he can continue his positive start.

“I believe in my own ability,” he said. “It was tough coming in, I am not going to lie, settling, getting my feet under the table, getting myself into a position. I got two assists early doors but then I had to be something different because the team needed me to be something different.

“It is kind of what you need to do. I know I can supply goals, I think I have proved that so far, and even before I came here to Bolton, but if the club needs me to be that number nine and that goal-scorer than that is what I need to do.

“So far I have had to play number nine because of the injuries we have had in the squad and so far I think I have managed to do the job.”

Wanderers missed out at the play-off stage last season but Collins says there is a genuine sense of optimism around the squad that they can go all the way this time around.

“I am looking forward to it – I believe we can get to the final, I believe we can achieve what I came here to achieve,” he said.

“The team is good enough, it should be in the Championship. I think the lads know that we are good enough to get to where we want to go.

“It is about momentum now. I really believe once we are in the play-offs we can win the first leg, the second leg and then go and show what we can do at Wembley as well.”