Aisle be back better than ever, says skipper (From The Bolton News)

Aisle be back better than ever, says skipper

7:25am Monday 14th July 2008 in

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IT'S been a somewhat busy summer for Kevin Nolan, even before a ball has been kicked.

While most of the Wanderers squad opted for rest and relaxation before the ardour of pre-season, the club skipper was preparing to marry his long-term partner Hayley.

A quick honeymoon later, and it was straight back to work. But Nolan was not about to start complaining.

"Even though it was a long summer, it has been very quick," he said. "I got married and then went on honeymoon, all of a sudden there was only a week to go before we were back - there hasn't been much time to relax.

"Now I'm back and the next five weeks is going to be about pure hard work. I don't look forward to the tours, but the hard work is part and parcel if you want to be successful.

"The rest of the lads look in good shape already, so hopefully we can get off to a flyer."

By his own admission, Nolan failed at times last season to reach the high standards he has set for himself in nine years at the Reebok. But his influence both on and off the pitch proved crucial as Wanderers scrapped their way to safety.

Nolan's determination to keep the club in the top flight was summed up by the way he played with painkilling injections in the latter stages of the campaign. Now, Nolan is looking forward to reaping the rewards of his hard work.

"It isn't just because we were struggling, even if you finish sixth or seventh you appreciate the fact you are playing in the Premier League, it is the only place to be," he said.

"It is not as if we are counting ourselves lucky - because we fully deserve to be in this league. We have proved that over so many years now.

"But it's just great to be playing in the Premier League after such a poor season, by our standards. Being able to play against the Liverpools, Manchester Uniteds and Arsenals is fantastic and I can't wait to get going again."

Nolan had some complimentary words about the club's two new signings, Fabrice Muamba and Johan Elmander.

Arriving at a combined fee of £16million, the skipper is sure the club will see the benefits of their substantial cash outlay.

"I'm absolutely delighted that we have spent a bit of dough on some quality players," he said.

"I knew a bit about Fabrice having played against him last year. What I have seen of him, he looks an excellent addition to the squad.

"I haven't seen much of Johan Elmander yet but if you are banging in goals in the French league and you're a Swedish international then he won't be short of the quality we need."

Nolan was also glad to see fellow Wanderers stalwarts Jussi Jaaskelainen and Ricardo Gardner sign new deals.

"If those two would have gone, I'd be the only one left from the previous squad," he smirked.

"I was hoping they would stay around or else I would be getting the stick for having been here the longest.

"There has been a good bit of banter in the dressing room but they are both excellent players and we missed them for big parts of last season.

"I suppose that shows the strength in depth we had last season to be able to get on with it and still get out of trouble."