Matt Gilks believes the move Antoni Sarcevic made to Stockport County has worked out for both the player and Bolton Wanderers.
Sarcevic made a shock move to the Hatters in October as the then Wanderers skipper departed the University of Bolton Stadium. He put pen to paper on a contract at Edgeley Park until the summer of 2024.
Sarcevic's final Wanderers game saw him dropped to the bench and then come off it in the away loss to former team Plymouth Argyle. The former Manchester City trainee scored 11 goals in 52 games for the Whites and captained the club to promotion out of League Two.
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The former Wanderers skipper scored four goals in 27 appearances for the Hatters this campaign as they sealed promotion back to League Two. County will be an EFL club once again next season after being crowned National League champions.
Gilks, a former team mate of Sarcevic's at Wanderers, has spoken on the former captain's departure and believes the transfer has proved to have worked out well for both parties. Though Gilks admits it was not an easy situation behind the scenes and the questions surrounding the move, he believes both parties have moved on.
Speaking to the BBC's Wanderer podcast, Gilks said: "No it wasn't (easy behind the scenes). There's things that go on that will never be known to the public really. That worked out better for both parties.
"That's one of them situations that I speak about when a player needs to leave for his own good and for the club. He's gone on to Stockport, Sarce, and he's been brilliant and they've got promoted and absolutely fantastic.
"He's got another promotion on his CV. He'll enjoy it, he's back in the Football League and that's what happens and you move on.
"You replace and you carry on and that's football, that's life in general. You've got to keep going, carry on and it's difficult sometimes, but decisions are made for the better of the group.
"Decisions are made for the better of the club and sometimes people fall away, people get passed, as long as this club keeps evolving and getting better as a group of people and as a club, then everyone's going to benefit."
Sarcevic ended up playing against his old team a matter of weeks after departing as County hosted Wanderers at Edgeley Park for an FA Cup first round replay. It proved to be a great night for the hosts as the Hatters dumped the Whites out of the competition with a 5-3 win in a game shown on national TV.
Wanderers goalkeeper coach Gilks admits that there were many elements to that encounter which saw the then non-league side come out on top. And though there were reflections upon it, the relentless nature of the League One season meant the loss had to be quickly parked and Wanderers move on from it.
He said: "Yes, they're a non-league team and we're a League One team. We're Bolton and Stockport, it was a big game, it was on TV, it was a big crowd, the FA Cup, there was the Sarce thing.
"There was so many elements in that game and obviously it came out on top for them and not for us, but you've just got to reflect on it and go through the videos and speak to individuals and a collective group in meetings and put things right.
"As much as you don't want to dismiss it, you kind of have to brush it under the carpet, next game. Because by the time you've gone Tuesday night, the fallout of it on Wednesday, your meetings on Thursday, you've got Friday to prepare for another game.
"Without saying 'whatever, forget it', you've got to dismiss it in some respect because you've got to move on."
