JON Dadi Bodvarsson has given his verdict on Wanderers’ play-off final defeat against Oxford United – admitting that pressure told on the day.

The Icelandic striker, who was released by Bolton at the end of his contract, says he was stunned by what happened at Wembley last month, and he is unsure what effect it will have on his former team-mates next season.

But speaking to the Bolton News for the first time since his departure was confirmed, the 32-year-old told us that he was surprised by what he saw, having been side-lined by injury for the season finale.

“It was weird, when you are in the stand you can see it from your perspective, and you see the whole thing. After about two minutes of the game, I had the feeling the game was not going to be good,” he said.

“It felt, to be perfectly honest, that it was too much on the day for the lads, pressure-wise. You could see that Oxford had just managed to get into the play-offs and for them it was a different sort of game, a big day out, nothing to lose. But I think you could see after only a couple of minutes that the whole world was on the lads’ shoulders, with the body language and stuff, and it was really tough to watch that.

“I always have the saying, and maybe it comes with experience, but sometimes you want things too much. You need it so badly that sometimes it can have the reverse effect and it can paralyse your ability a bit.

“That felt to me what happened on the day, when it all mattered, and I think in the end all the players are quite young and it will be a massive learning experience for them now.”

Bodvarsson says he holds no grudges after being told he would be released at the end of the season, despite having made 46 appearances in all competitions and scored 10 goals last season.

The shock of the play-off final defeat was followed by the news that his contract would not be renewed – but the experienced front man felt he parted on good terms.

“Football is crazy because of al it all ended, it took me a week or two to get my head around it because I was so confident that we’d do it,” he said.

“The way it finished was a shock. As a player I was quite happy with how I’d done for the two-and-a-half years I’d been at the club and you always imagine the perfect ending but often it doesn’t happen, it is common I guess, but speaking to Maria (his wife) and family you realise in the end that I did something right and left a positive input into the club.

“I will always look back at Bolton and say it had some of the best years of my professional career, I think.”

The million-dollar question for Bodvarsson, and any others in the Bolton camp, is whether they can respond in a positive fashion from last season’s disappointment.

“You can, whether it is next season or not, I am not sure,” he said of Wanderers’ chances.

“Personally, I have experienced a lot of really bad moments. I think it really made me better as a football player.

“I think the worst experiences you get as a football player, the better you will be. Your ability and your mentality can improve.

“The bus ride back was the quietest I have ever been involved in. Sometimes you need those really bad moments to come back stronger.

“We will see what happens and it is going to be a tough job, to be honest, because it was a shock, but I believe in Ian and in the lads there, I think they can bounce back from this.”

Bodvarsson has talked about his release from Bolton Wanderers, his plans for the future and elaborated on his thoughts for the team next season. To read all of our coverage, please consider subscribing to The Bolton News. Click here for more details.