Bolton Wanderers summer signing Jack Iredale has loved life at his new club so far and is feeling settled following his summer move from Cambridge United as he discussed in depth the squad rotation that will take place this season.
Iredale joined the Whites from Cambridge on a free transfer and put pen to paper on a three-year deal. The 26-year-old has played three times so far for his new club.
The defender is now settled at his new club, having got a new house with his girlfriend following his summer move. He had been staying in the Bolton Whites Hotel prior to getting a home.
READ MORE: Sheffield Wednesday seek to seal Cardiff City defender transfer ahead of Bolton Wanderers clash
Iredale has enjoyed his time at his new club and feels the pre-season trip to Portugal helped him get up to speed at Wanderers. He feels that is something which is paying off early on this season.
He said: “I’ve absolutely loved it to be fair. Coming straight in we went straight to Portugal for the pre-season trip and that helped me get grounded in the environment and then was looking forward to the season starting and now the games are coming thick and fast, it’s really exciting.
“It certainly left us in good stead. The amount of work that we managed to get in week one, I think we can already see the benefits of it. We just when through that game at the weekend in the heat with 10 men for a long period of time and we still managed to hold off and keep the clean sheet, so I think there’s already the proof that the work the coaching staff has put into us is paying off.
“We want to be a team that wins games and if you can’t win the game, then you don’t lose. The gaffer has really made a point of instilling a winning mentality to us. He talks about the record that this team has had in the last 25 or 26 games and have lost three and that’s something we look to continue.
“I am happy to have played the games I have so far, at wing-back as well, so I am enjoying playing in a team which is more possession-based and the tactical challenges that the staff are getting into me.
“Everything the club has allowed me to do – they have let me stay at the hotel, the chef helps me out with food as well when I can’t get access to cooking something.
“I think in terms of the expectancy, everyone that the coaching staff have brought into the changing room are people who want to win games. The gaffer is exactly the same, he is drilling a winning mentality into us. We know what we want to do as a team and it is up to us to go out every game and show it."
Iredale is in a competitive area of the squad and is competition on both the left hand side of the back three, as well as left wing-back. That puts him in direct competition with George Johnston and Declan John.
A key feature of this season already has been the squad rotation by Ian Evatt to keep his squad fresh. He is yet to name the same starting team for consecutive fixtures this campaign.
Iredale knew he was going to be competing with Johnston and John for his place in the team and feels he offers something different to both of those players. The defender knows rotation will be a feature this season and the squad know they have to be on their game or face being replaced, but Iredale appreciates the explanation boss Ian Evatt gives his players when they are not selected.
He said: "I knew coming into the squad it was either going to be competing with Jonno at centre-half or Declan at wing-back. Both very good players, I think I have got different qualities to both of those guys as well.
"I knew how good Declan was coming in and that is why I have really had to be switched on with the performances that I am giving as well because if I don’t have the best game, there are multiple players on the bench who will come in and play.
“Even if your performances might drop sub-par, there is someone right there knocking on the door who will come in straight away and take that shirt. Whether it is a thing of, ‘it’s going to be rotation’ – in yourself, you just have to know that you have to be on it every single game, or there is another quality player waiting who is ready to come on.
"Obviously, the strength of the squad that we have is massive. It helps when you can make five subs and we have got more than five players on the bench who will come on and not only give the same standard, but maybe raise the quality as well with the qualities that they have individually. It is definitely very important to have a strong squad.”
“The gaffer spoke to me before the first game of the season and explained why I wasn’t going to be playing, and that immediately put my mind at rest and gave me the confidence that I’m not doing something wrong, it is just for an individual reason really.
"That is massive when you have got a coaching staff and a gaffer where you can knock on the door and say, ‘look, what is going wrong? What can I do to get in the team?’ and that kind of stuff. It makes an important difference for the player.”
“Without even asking as well, they will tell you little details and individual pointers from the game before. I have just come from a meeting there with Pete (Atherton), who helped with some stuff one-v-one defensively from the weekend. And that is without even asking. They go out of their way to show you how you can get better and they just want to help you develop.”
Don't miss a thing from the club you love! For all the latest updates on Wanderers, sign up to our free newsletter packed with all the latest news here.
READ NEXT:
