By his own admission, when Ian Evatt arrived at Bolton Wanderers, back in the summer of 2020, they were "absolutely broken".
Just shy of 12 months prior to his arrival, the club were rescued after teetering on the brink of extinction. Serious financial issues, administration and successive relegations had left Bolton on their knees in the EFL's basement division and their long-suffering fanbase at their lowest ebb.
The events that preceded Evatt's arrival are, undoubtedly, some of the darkest events in the club's history. But the former Barrow boss has helped to piece the club back together over the past two-and-a-half years - and now, he has his sights set on penning a new chapter in the club's story.
After guiding Bolton to promotion in his first season in charge and consolidating in the third tier last term, the club are among the frontrunners for promotion in League One this year. They currently sit fourth and have designs on chasing down the top three before the campaign concludes in May. But while a return to the Championship is the ultimate goal, Wanderers also have the opportunity to make history elsewhere.
Bolton are set to face Lancashire neighbours Accrington Stanley for a place in the Papa Johns Trophy final on Wednesday evening. And while in some ways the tournament represents just how far the club have fallen since the turn of the Millenium, it does provide the Trotters with an opportunity to win their first trophy since 1989.
"Whether we like it or not, the terrible times are engrained in the history of this football club and people will remember them," Evatt tells Mirror Football . "But, off the back of those terrible times, if we can then gain promotion from League Two, potentially win the EFL Trophy and hopefully be there or thereabouts in the promotion race in League One this year, then we can create our own bit of history and leave a footprint in the sand for future years. Future generations of this football club could then look back and think 'what a good job they did'."
The EFL Trophy has long polarised opinions. With attendances dwindling, the decision to invite sixteen Category One academy teams to join the tournament in a bid to rejuvenate the competition back in 2016, was a contentious one.
But the tournament still provides much-needed financial rewards for clubs in the third and fourth-tiers and the small matter of a Wembley final. As recently as 2019, Sunderland and Portsmouth attracted a record crowd of 85,021 when they met in the final. Nobody at Bolton is undervaluing the Trophy: over 2,600 fans are set to travel to Accrington on Wednesday night with another 1,000 watching back at the University of Bolton Stadium.
"There's a huge interest here," Evatt adds. "I believe the competition itself is a good one. For whatever reason, it is undervalued and we have a responsibility as custodians of the game to push and champion this competition. Hopefully, the teams that we've selected and the way we've approached it this season can help to do that.
"I can't remember the last occasion where the final four teams in the competition are all League One teams. Then with ourselves and Plymouth being two of the top four in the league, it shows that more teams are taking it seriously.
"We've taken it very, very seriously. It deserves that: any team that has the opportunity to play at Wembley should grab it with both hands. I was fortunate enough to play at Wembley a number of times during my playing career and its a fantastic memory and one that stays with you and your family. I want that for my players."
The likes of Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount and Declan Rice all made their professional debuts in the tournament. And in recent years, both Sunderland and Rotherham have won the tournament before going on to achieve promotion just a few months later - a feat that Bolton are aiming to emulate.
"Winning football matches is a habit and it breeds confidence; we've used this competition to help gain that confidence. Players should become addicted to winning - it's a massive thing. Seeing the players go through this competition and seeing what the opportunity to play at Wembley means to them has been really refreshing," added Evatt.
"Fingers crossed we can get there [to the final], but it's going to be difficult and challenging for us to do so. Accrington is always a difficult place to go. We'll concentrate on our own performance levels and hopefully, that will be enough to get us through to a cup final. If we can do that, it's then a case of parking it and focusing on the next month or so in the league which will really define the rest of our season."
After winning promotion to the EFL with Barrow prior to joining Bolton, Evatt has already achieved a lot in his fledgling managerial career. So where would winning the EFL Trophy at Wembley with Bolton rank?
"This club, when I first came here, was absolutely broken. Myself, my staff, the owner and the board of directors, we've had to work really, really hard to rebuild trust and confidence in the football club and connect again with the community," explained Evatt.
"I think we've done that, but that can only be achieved off the back of positive football results. What we've tried to do on the pitch is create a brand, an identity that people are proud to watch and have success in a sustainable manner - one that will never put this football club at risk ever again. I think we've done that really well so far; there's been a steady progression.
"It [winning the EFL trophy]would be a huge honour. I've played at Wembley and it's a goal and an ambition of mine to manage there as well, so fingers crossed I can do that this season and we can continue on our journey."
