A WANDERERS fan has ensured he will never forget the club’s great escape by having a permanent reminder inked on his body.

Mark Yates, aged 25, promised to get a tattoo of Aaron Wilbraham’s face on his leg if the striker scored the goal to keep Bolton in the Championship.

And the 38-year-old forward duly delivered, scoring a dramatic late headed goal to spark jubilant scenes at the Macron Stadium as the Whites beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.

After receiving encouragement from Wilbraham’s teammates as well as fellow supporters, Mr Yates agreed to go under the needle at Dave T’s House of Tattoos, in Derby Street, yesterday.

Wilbraham called in to the tattoo studio to see the work for himself and said he “could not believe it” before Mr Yates apologised for having doubted him.

Wilbraham added: “It’s unbelievable. It’s a great story how it happened. For it to actually backfire and him stick to it, it’s a great bit of banter. The occasion, and how we stayed up, it’s quality.

When asked how it felt to know his face would be permanently etched on Mr Yates’s leg, he said: “It’s the maddest feeling ever.

"After the game I had about 176 WhatsApps wishing me well and six or seven people had sent me the tweet as a screenshot.

"My little brother texted me saying he’d tweeted him and he said he was going to do it. For him to go through with it and get it done, fair play.”

The tattoo is Mr Yates’ first, and describing the moment he made the promise, he said: “I saw the teamsheet when it was released and my friend said to my son, ‘If Wilbraham scores the winner to keep us in the Championship, your dad is getting his face tattooed on his back.’

“I turned around to him and jokingly said, ‘Alright, I’ll put it on Twitter but I’m not going to get it on my back – I’ll do it on my leg.’

“In the second half, there were five goals but I genuinely cannot remember anything that happened after our winner at all.

"My phone nearly blew up though with messages and everybody around me in the stands was just laughing at me.

“I’ll never forget the game anyway, that’s for sure - I’ll have a permanent reminder of it!”

After the tattoo had been completed, Mr Yates declared himself happy with the outcome before making another promise.

He said: “It’s brilliant, I’m chuffed with it. I’ve promised to get one of Gareth Southgate if England win the World Cup!”