ATHERTON Colls didn’t receive a penny as old boy Anthony Pilkington plotted a multi-million pound course towards Premier League and international football.

The winger, who signed for Cardiff City last season via Stockport County, Huddersfield Town and Norwich City, has totalled around £5m in transfer fees in the eight years since he left the North West Counties League club.

But these days, it’s a case of once bitten, twice shy, and some of the most important business done this season at Alder House has been to sign some of their brightest talents to contracts.

Micheal Clegg’s team romped to the First Division title last year and welcome Wanderers this afternoon for a pre-season friendly.

The Colls boss admits he has had to fight hard to keep his squad together this summer but that the landscape has changed since Pilkington came through the ranks.

“After the way we played last year, there have been a lot of offers,” he said. “Someone like Mark Battersby, for example, who scored 60 goals, could have had his pick of 10 different teams.

“But we’re building something here and after what happened with Pilkington I think it’s important we’ve secured half a dozen lads to contracts.

“It was a different club then. It was down in the doldrums a bit and we’d be playing in front of 30 or 40 people. Last year our attendances were up 400 per cent.”

The visit of Wanderers – who are likely to mix development squad players with some Under-18s – is eagerly anticipated among the mainly-local dressing room.

“There are Bolton fans in the team,” Clegg added. “There has been a buzz about the place as we’ve prepared for the game.”