Evatt: Gilks Ready For League One Challenge

Ian Evatt has revealed that Matt Gilks is keen to carry on playing for Bolton Wanderers next season.

After initially arriving at the University of Bolton Stadium as the club’s goalkeeping coach shortly after the Wanderers manager was appointed in the summer, the former Blackpool and Scotland ‘keeper took up the gloves in November and played a significant role in the Whites’ successful promotion campaign.

Gilks, who turns 39 in June, kept 16 clean sheets in his 35 appearances and his presence on the field helped to inspire his teammates.

Evatt said: “We’ve had that conversation and he wants to play on, which is great.

“Forget about his age, he’s a very healthy man, looks after himself and trains professionally and if you look statistically what he has done this season he is – in my view – the best goalkeeper in League Two, and will be one of the best goalkeepers in League One next season.

“Why wouldn’t we want him to play on?”

He added: “It isn’t just his own game and attributes, it is what he brings to the other players as well with his voice and the way he communicates.

“That educated Rico (Ricardo Almeida Santos) and brought him on as a player.

“The rest of the lads, the way he dictates and organises, helps everybody else, so if he is happy to play on then we are lucky to have him because he has proved this season what a fantastic goalkeeper he still is.”

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