Phil Jagielka will now not be training with Bolton after reports linked the former Everton and Sheffield United defender with Wanderers - and Ian Evatt has insisted the former England defender would have only been at the club to maintain his fitness in pre-season.
Reports emerged earlier this week suggesting that the veteran was due to link up with the Trotters in pre-season training.
The 38-year-old departed Bramall Lane for the second time this summer having spent the last two campaigns back with the Blades and is currently a free agent.
But it emerged soon after that Jagielka was only going to come to the club as a favour to keep up his fitness over the summer and there was nothing further to it.
Wanderers boss Evatt has now had his say on the situation and confirmed that Jagielka will now not be coming to the club in pre-season, which he insists only would have been for fitness and not for a trial or with a view to potentially signing the veteran.
He explained that he does not want any distractions for Bolton in pre-season and the profile of player would have led to 'distractions and sideshows'. which they are trying to keep away from the squad ahead of the League One campaign.
Evatt said: “Jags asked me if he could come in pre-season and it was a yes, because I always like to help out good, experienced pros to try and stay in the game. And it would have been just that.
“But then we got the media fanfare, the expectancy that fans seemed to have for signing that sort of player, it’s just no good for anybody.
“It’s certainly no good for the group, who we’re trying to hide from all the distractions and sideshows. We decided to move on."
Wanderers are well stocked in the centre of defence with Ricardo Almeida Santos, Alex Baptiste, Harry Brockbank, Reiss Greenidge, Will Aimson and George Johnston on the books in that area.
With the exception of Baptiste, the rest of those players are in their early to mid 20s and Evatt felt that the possibility of Jagielka joining those ranks did not fit with their squad plans.
And the Bolton boss has reiterated that Jagielka would only have joined up with Wanderers for fitness reasons to ensure he would be in the best condition possible to sign for another team.
He said: “It was absolutely only for fitness. He wants to stay in the game, which was great, at 38 having the passion to play is fantastic, but as I said, we have recruited a different demographic of player this summer.
"Everyone can see what we are trying to do and he doesn’t really fit in with what we are trying to do.
“We were literally giving him a chance to stay fit and sharp, ready for people who came along that wanted to sign him.”
