With the dust having finally settled following Wanderers’ dramatic escape against Nottingham Forest on May 6, Adam Le Fondre has paid tribute to the club’s supporters for the part they played in getting Phil Parkinson’s men over the line.
The striker, who agreed permanent terms with the club in the summer of 2017 following two loan spells at Macron Stadium, finished the campaign as the Trotters’ top scorer with seven goals, including one on the final day against the Reds.
And speaking to bwfc.co.uk, the forward thanked the fans for their backing both throughout the season as a whole and on that memorable day just over a week ago.
“We’re just delighted that we were able to do it for everybody at the club – it’s just about sinking in,” he said.
“The fans were incredible on the day, as they have been all season long. The atmosphere was unbelievable throughout – there was never any negativity, even when we went behind and before the game, everybody was positive and that fed through to us all.
“They stuck right with us all the way through, spurred us on and it undoubtedly helped us to get over the line.
“We’ll enjoy the summer, but come July, we’ll be returning to training as Sky Bet Championship players and that is a great feeling to have.
“We’ve done it the hard way, but games like this will never be forgotten and I’m proud to have been a part of it.”
He continued, “I always had belief in the team and myself that we would get the victory we needed against Nottingham Forest – I always love to be a hero, but I’m absolutely buzzing for both Alby and Wheats too that they managed to get their goals.
“I actually said to Wheats prior to the game that I felt as though he was going to nick a goal because he was definitely due one.
“For me to come off the bench though, score one and set-up two, it’s a dream come true.
“Even when my goal went in, I never felt as though it was over – we still had a big chunk of the game to go and anything can happen in football, as was proven by Forest going ahead.
“We just tried to be solid but we were hit by a sucker-punch. That said though, we showed fantastic character to come back and that epitomises the group of players we’ve had this season.
“I’ve previously been involved in games similar to the one against Forest with that kind of pressure, but our comeback came out of nothing really.
“It wasn’t as though our goals came from sustained pressure – it was just great play, we were rewarded for our determination and it's a day we'll never forget.”