George Thomason is focused on playing for the first team at Bolton Wanderers regularly this season in an intensely competitive midfield and believes the management under Ian Evatt is a 'perfect fit' for him.
The 21-year-old made his debut for Wanderers under Evatt in November 2020. He has gone on to play 46 times for the club and score twice since then.
Thomason has featured regularly for the club during pre-season and has had a positive build-up to the 2022/23 campaign. He was last in action in the 3-1 loss to Carlisle United.
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Thomason is part of an intensely competitive central midfield department Evatt has at his disposal. MJ Williams, Kieran Lee, Aaron Morleyx, Josh Sheehan and Kyle Dempsey are among other options in that area of the pitch.
But Thomason - who was recruited from non-league Longridge Town in early 2020 - is relishing every opportunity he gets and is concentrating on playing as much as he can under Evatt's management. The youngster is aware of the competition he faces but believes time out of the squad and team last season has allowed him to improve and develop physically in a bid to become a better player.
He said: “I try and take every opportunity I am given. I try to implement the things we do during the week, on the ball, off the ball, and try to improve myself as a player which will give me the best possible chance to play games.
“I know my journey has been a little bit unique. I don’t think it is complete but right now I am focussing on being a Bolton player and playing for the first team regularly.
“Last season brought me a lot of different experiences, like playing in front of fans, playing in League One, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons. Now I want to kick on and take everything I have learned into the new season.
“I think the manager and his team are the perfect fit for me – the style of play they brought to the club and the progression I have made from the beginning when they came in. I have just tried to be a sponge and take in what everyone has been telling me because that has made me the player I am today.
“Last season when I was in and out of the squad a little bit it gave me the chance to assess myself and look where I can improve. Physically, I felt I could definitely up my levels.
“That time gave me an opportunity to improve in the gym, improve my sleep, my diet, and try to give myself every chance to be a better player.
“I think every one of the midfielders brings something different to the table and it is has been about building the different relationships on the pitch knowing that we have all got a tough job nailing down one of those three spots.
“I think so far we have pushed each other well. The Carlisle game was a blip but we have a chance to move forward now, look at what went wrong and improve in the future."
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