MARK Beevers wants to make up for the heartbreak of missing out on promotion with Millwall by doing it the easy way with Wanderers.

The big defender scored against his hometown club Barnsley in the play-off final at Wembley but saw his big moment fall by the wayside as the Tykes went on to claim a place in the Championship.

He quit The Den for family reasons to return north and turned down Bradford City to sign a deal with Wanderers – a team he believes could go a step further this season.

“I want one better this time,” he told The Bolton News. “But I’d rather get promotion the easy way and go up in first or second spot.

“Every team in this league believes they can get one of those six spots at this time of year, if not the top two, and we’re no different.

“Everyone is aware this is not an easy league and that we’ll have to be bang at it, organised and all the rest of it. But there is a lot of quality when you look around the squad.

“We’re working very, very hard for that first game against Sheffield United and when that comes around we’ll be ready for it.”

Beevers joined up with the Wanderers squad in Sweden a week behind the others but has quickly been brought up to speed in what has been an immaculately-organised schedule.

Pre-season has been done to the letter so far as Phil Parkinson looks to instil a sense of discipline in his squad that served him so well at Bradford City.

“I think there are some managers out there who’ll let you have a couple of nights out during the week you’re there and it’s hard work either side but from what I can see here, we’re here to work,” Beevers said.

“He’s said from day one when he had a meeting. Me and Tayls (Chris Taylor) came in a week later but he sat us down and gave us the rules, told us what he expects from us and he’s firm with them as well.

“You have to be on time, you have to wear the right gear, your attitude has to be right and so does your body language. It has to be pin-point.

“I think the lads have come to terms with that right away and that’s why I think they are looking pretty good for this stage of pre-season.”

Beevers had other options on the table when he chose to leave Millwall but was intrigued at the prospect of taking Wanderers back up into the Championship at the first attempt.

“I finished the season late because I had the play-off final and then went away with my missus and the little one for a couple of weeks,” he said.

“Things were ongoing and I met with the manager between my two holidays. We went to the stadium and he didn’t really have to sell it to me – Bolton are a massive club, I knew that before I got there and I knew where I wanted to be.

“I met him and listened to his targets and aims for the season and they are exactly what I need. I want to be looking up, feeling that I am at a club which can be in the Championship again.

“When I got to the ground it was the perfect fit. It took a little longer than I would have liked but thankfully it got done and I got on the flight to Sweden.”