Jay Matete admits it is a “big year” in his career and is determined to help Wanderers bounce back from their slow start.

The midfielder came into the starting line-up against Huddersfield and showed glimpses of his ability in the first half despite a miserable afternoon for the Whites.

Matete has already has success at this level but hasn’t been able to kick on, with injuries playing a big part.

“I feel like it’s a big year for me,” he said. “I really want to kickstart my career again and I feel like I’ve got a perfect opportunity to do it here.

"This is a big club with big expectation, which kind of suits me and the way I am.”

The 23-year-old goes way back with Chris Forino and revealed that the defender helped him settle in at the club.

“Chris is from my area (North Islington) so I’ve known him for years. We used to play football together,” he recalled.

“We didn’t go to the same school but just from living in the same area, we kind of got to know each other. He’s a good mate of mine.”

Matete is also very familiar with Stephen Crainey, having worked together at Fleetwood before the midfielder was snapped up by Sunderland.

“I went to a college scheme programme in London and they got me a trial from there to Fleetwood,” he explained.

“I went up there, did well and got signed as a second-year scholar. It went really well at Fleetwood and I enjoyed it there.

“It was a long way from home but I made a lot of friends and enjoyed my football there. I feel that club gives young players a chance, which I benefitted from a lot.

“Stephen Crainey was my Under-23s gaffer. I really enjoyed working with him there and I’m really happy to be working with him again.”

Matete helped Sunderland win promotion back to the Championship during his first few months in the North East.

He was also part of the Plymouth squad that clinched the League One title in 2023 after heading out on loan in search of regular minutes.

“Sunderland is a massive club with a massive fan base. It was a different leaving Fleetwood to go there, it was surreal at the time,” he said.

“It was amazing helping them get back to the Championship. They were in League One for quite a while and we had to get out of it.”

The midfielder added: “I wanted to play every week and get more games under my belt so I went to Plymouth and really enjoyed it there too.

“I played football and it was a good time to be there. We were winning games and the team was on a high. We won the league which is a great feeling as well.”

During his time with the Pilgrims, Matete featured in the 4-0 defeat against Wanderers in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy final.

“On the day at Wembley, we (Bolton) were really good,” he recalled. “For Plymouth, it was a bad day. We said after the game we didn’t deserve anything on the day, Bolton were top.”