DOUGIE Freedman has pledged Wanderers will do everything possible to sign fans' choice Jay Spearing.

During Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Burnley the 2,500 travelling Whites supporters made their voices heard, urging the club to bring back the Liverpool midfielder who had been such a hit on loan last season.

Blackburn Rovers have already agreed a fee for Spearing this summer only for the 24-year-old to turn down a move to Ewood Park.

And though that figure is currently out of Wanderers’ reach, Freedman assured fans the club would be doing its level best to strike up a deal before the close of the transfer window in four week’s time. “Jay is a fantastic player – our player of the season last year – he’s available and we’re going to try our very, very best to make it happen,” the manager said.

“We’ve got Financial Fair Play and I have got a responsibility to this football club. I know they (fans) don’t want to hear it, but I have.

“We’ve done very well with free transfers and if something with Jay comes up and the deal is right for the football club then, yes, we’ll be looking at it.”

A massive 96 per cent of Wanderers fans voted in favour of a move for Spearing in a recent poll by The Bolton News.

And Freedman has made no secret of the fact he needs to strengthen in midfield, particularly in light of Stuart Holden’s recent season-ending injury. The Whites boss now hopes he can reward supporters who he believes have bought into his philosophy at the club. “I need to sit in the technical area making decisions – I can’t be in the crowd making decisions,” he said. “But I’ll never forget last year making those decisions and the fans not being that happy.

“Now we are together. Now I have got 2,500 fans understanding exactly what I am trying to do with David Ngog, understanding what Chungy’s role is.

“I just feel now that we are a club who are educated in the right way. We are not a pushover. First minute to the last and a few minutes after the fans were behind us singing and I get a good feeling that I can build on.”

The likelihood of Craig Dawson – another of last season’s successful loanees – coming back to the Reebok looks less certain.

West Brom have indicated that they may be prepared to let the defender leave on loan after signing Uruguay international Diego Lugano last week but Freedman reckons the youngster could decided to stay and fight for his place at the Hawthorns.

“I think Craig’s name is going to come up because of the way he played last year,” he said. “He’s a wonderful guy but I think he’s trying to concentrate on the Premier League.”