WILL Buckley wants to make up for lost time at Wanderers.

One of Phil Parkinson’s star summer captures admits the last couple of years of his career have been somewhat of a write off.

Failure to get regular football at Sunderland forced him into a number of loan moves which, by his own admission, affected his confidence.

But the former Brighton winger has rediscovered his mojo this summer after moving to the Macron Stadium on a free transfer and with the curtain raiser against Leeds United he is eager to show the Wanderers fans what they are getting.

“I have to prove again that I can cut it at this level,” he told The Bolton News. “The manager has turned to me as someone who can help the team but I think this is the right time to come to Bolton too.

“I need to be playing more games, finding my best football, and making up for lost time. I could point to all sorts of things, injuries, loans not working out, but it’s ultimately up to me to show I’m still the player I was at Brighton a couple of years ago.”

With the millions being spent around them, Wanderers are going to be relying heavily on the team spirit and organisation which played a big part in their promotion from League One.

Buckley believes the momentum from last season’s success will be a factor in the next couple of months.

“I think you have to dream big but we know the main task is to stay in the league this season,” he said. “You never know what might happen, and I think this is a team which is not used to losing.

“The manager is big on organisation and if you’re at it every week, fit and strong, 100 per cent committed, then it can go a long way.

“Hard work can get you results and that’s that the manager and the assistant manager has been drilling into us.

“Yes, we’ll need quality to shine through at some stage. I think there’s plenty of that in the squad and I’d like to think I fall into that category because I believe in my own ability.

“But first and foremost you have to make sure there is effort and commitment on the pitch.”

Despite an encouraging start in Sunderland colours when he moved to the North East in 2014 under Gus Poyet, Buckley found himself largely overlooked by the Uruguayan’s successors Dick Advocaat, Sam Allardyce and David Moyes.

He is confident, however, that in Phil Parkinson he has a manager with whom he can strike up a good relationship.

“When a manager trusts in you it gives you the ability to go on and do what you do best. I haven’t always had that,” he said.

“It is difficult when you are not settled with one manager or the way he wants to play. But I have done my homework, I watched the way Bolton played last season and I think I can fit into that.”