ROB Hall says he holds no grudges against Wanderers despite an ignominious end to his career at the Macron.

Once tipped by ex-Whites boss Dougie Freedman to become the best player outside the Premier League, the young winger rarely got a chance to live up to the Scot’s prophecy.

Wanderers insisted they had signed Hall at a steal from West Ham in the summer of 2013 after a short loan spell but the details of his appearance-related contract only emerged several months later.

The £450,000 paid at tribunal was only the tip of the iceberg and though Hall had ceased to be a first team regular by the time Neil Lennon arrived as manager in late 2014, the mounting financial problems at the club made each appearance a costly one.

Hall was twice loaned out to MK Dons before his contract ran out and he signed a two-year deal with tonight’s opponents Oxford United last summer after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Now 23, the Aylesbury-born midfielder insists he is happy to see his former club gunning for promotion, even If he will be looking to slow their progress at the Kassam Stadium.

“It’s a great club,” he said. “As much as my time there was up and down as a whole I’m happy to see them doing well because they do deserve it.

“The fans were there even when things weren’t going right and they supported the lads. Everyone around it deserves where they are now.

“I didn’t play as regularly as I have here. Once you get a run of games you start performing week-in, week-out. I saw a few comments of ‘why weren’t you like this when you were there?’

“The simple fact is I didn’t get the opportunity to do that. I’m not blaming anyone, what people see here today is the same as I was there. It’s just how football goes.

“Being at home against a former club is always exciting because you’ve got your own fans backing you. I’ll probably get a bit of stick off their fans.”

Oxford boss Michael Appleton has concerns over the state of the pitch at the Kassam Stadium, though the weather forecasts are currently favourable.

The former Blackburn Rovers chief masterminded an impressive 2-0 win at the Macron at the start of the season, handing Phil Parkinson his first home defeat.

But Appleton is well aware where Bolton’s strengths lie, and how their strength at set pieces has helped get them back into the automatic promotion places.

“They are a very physical side and have some giants in the team, even in midfield. Vela and Pratley are big lads, there’s Madine and the three centre halves are huge,” he said. “It will be a physical game and we’ll have to try to match them. It’s something we haven’t done particularly well. It won’t be a pretty game and I don’t think the pitch will allow it.”