ERHUN Oztumer has no doubt he will be able to raise his game in the Championship this season with Wanderers.

The Macron new boy will sample life in the second tier for the first time in his career after signing a two-year deal with Bolton last week.

Oztumer has spent four years in League One and made the PFA’s Team of the Year in successive seasons at Walsall.

The playmaker now has to prove himself at the higher level and is confident he can quickly dispel any lingering doubts once he pulls on a Wanderers shirt.

“I know what I am getting into,” he told The Bolton News. “I get the motivation from people telling me I can’t do this, can’t do that. I enjoy proving people wrong.

“The Championship is going to be a big step up and I’ll be playing against big teams like Stoke City, West Brom and better players.

“But I think I’ll be playing alongside better players too and I will improve from that again and raise my own game.”

One of the most intriguing aspects of Oztumer’s arrival is what effect he will have on the approach of a Bolton side with a reputation for playing direct football but he insists: “I don’t see pressure. If I am enjoying my football and in the team, the ball will come to me. I honestly believe I can make a difference.”

Oztumer was chased by a cluster of clubs this summer but said one of the deal-clinchers in his discussions with Phil Parkinson is the fact he did not mention his height.

“It’s crazy,” he laughed. “If I score a goal the first thing which follows my name is the fact I’m 5ft 3in. Obviously I have learned to live with it – but it’s a little bit annoying.

“The first thing which struck me is that the gaffer is a decent guy.

“I’ve played against his Bradford and Bolton sides in the last few seasons and I know they are always hard-working and well organised.

“But I like the fact he didn’t have an issue with my height – he knows what I can produce for him. And by bringing me to the club I know he’s got faith that I can do it at this level.”