Alex Baptiste believes the difference Bolton Wanderers fans can make when they return next season could be akin to the impact the Liverpool faithful have at Anfield.
The last time supporters were allowed into the University of Bolton Stadium was at the end of February last year when just over 12,000 fans watched a goalless draw against Accrington Stanley.
Since then, all matches at the home of Wanderers have taken place behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bolton played only two matches last season in front of spectators, both on the road in December against Cheltenham Town and Carlisle United.
With restrictions relaxing and supporters beginning to return to grounds, Wanderers fans are poised to return to the University of Bolton Stadium.
And veteran defender Baptiste, who has recently put pen to paper on a new one-year deal at the club, believes the return of the Whites' faithful could prove as important as Liverpool's do at Anfield.
The defender told the club's YouTube channel: "It's going to be weird. In the first game against Forest Green, you're looking round and there's no fans there, you're thinking 'oh my God'.
"Then you get used to playing in front of no fans, and then when the fans come back it's going to be completely weird.
"But there were games like the Exeter one, I don't think we'd have lost that one (if fans were there) - the players were nervous during the second half and the fans would have given us that extra lift if there was a few thousand there.
"It's going to be fantastic and it's going to be weird getting used to it in the first few games.
"But especially at our home ground if we fill that stadium, it makes such a massive difference in pivotal games where you might be on the edge and that home fanbase can definitely take you over the top.
"You look at Liverpool, when they play with fans they're obviously better than when they weren't at Anfield, so it's a massive difference and we're all looking forward to it and getting back to normal and hopefully making our ground a fortress for League One teams to come to."
