Ian Evatt has no doubts surrounding young midfielder George Thomason and his second season of professional first team football for Bolton Wanderers ahead of his return to old side Longridge Town.
The 20-year-old burst onto the scene last season with the Trotters, making 25 appearances in the heart of the engine room for Wanderers and scoring once.
He had spent the early parts of last season on loan at Bamber Bridge but was recalled from his spell at the Brig in November, becoming a key member of Evatt's squad as Wanderers won automatic promotion out of League Two.
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Thomason and his Bolton team mates head to his former side Longridge for their first pre-season friendly tomorrow.
The midfielder joined Wanderers from the North West Counties side in January 2020 - and Evatt believes it will be a great encounter for the youngster to show how far he has come in a relatively short space of time.
Thomason and Wanderers will be stepping up a level in the upcoming campaign in League One, but Evatt is confident about the youngster making progress.
He said: “It’s a great game for him to understand how far he has come in such a short space of time.
“To be playing in Bolton Wanderers’ first team against a team where he learned his trade, so to speak, is a great reminder of what he has achieved. We’re looking forward to it and so is he.
“It’s that second season syndrome, isn’t it? When people normally come on to the scene it can be difficult to back it up in the second year.
“George is a fantastic person and a very humble young man who works extremely hard in all aspects of his game. I have no doubts that he will be a fantastic player for years to come for this football club."
It will be the first game Wanderers have played in front of their own supporters since last March, with the draw on the road against Burton Albion the last time Bolton fans saw their team in action in the flesh.
But away supporters will be admitted to the Mike Riding Ground on Saturday, with fans having to show evidence of a negative lateral flow coronavirus test to enter.
And Evatt admits that his team will have to learn to play in front of supporters again, with all the positives and negatives which come with it.
He said: “We do have to get used to supporters again, the noises they make, some of the negativity and the positivity. There is no doubt that it has an affect on your decision-making.
“As we saw with England and Wembley, near-enough a full stadium, the backing for a team can be a huge bonus, especially for us playing at the UniBol. We didn’t have that last season.
“I’m looking forward to having that again and seeing some of our fans at Longridge on Saturday."
