CHRISTMAS came a little early for staff at Bolton's Whites Hotel - when powerhouse midfielder Jason Lowe dropped in to help with a sales push.

The former England Under-20s and Under-21 international pitched in as part of the venue's Conversion Day.

Staff had been charged with transforming sales leads into solid bookings for the University of Bolton Stadium-based complex.

And with the help of the 28-year-old Blackburn Rovers academy graduate, the Whites' team notched up a healthy return of more than £500,000.

Jason donned a Santa hat and mucked in, making phones calls to prospective customers who had expressed an interest in the hotel's festive packages, coming away with several notable sales.

He said: "We’re all in it together and the hotel has a big part to play with the football club. The lads will do what they can to help morale and the staff, who are fantastic.

"They work very hard in keeping the hotel running as efficiently as possible."

Free now from the shadow of the administrators, who were called in to sort out both the club and hotel, the conversion event has provided a welcome shot in the arm for the enterprise.

Suzanne Speak, the hotel's general manager of Bolton Whites Suzanne Speak added: "Jason is really popular around the club and he didn't hesitate when we asked him to help us out.

"We successfully converted over £500,000 worth of business during what is a very busy period for us. We have a number of large conferences in the pipeline and with the festive period not too far away our Christmas party packages are proving to be very popular.

"After what was a difficult and challenging time during the administration of both the club and the hotel, we are now seeing an increased interest in Bolton Whites. The future is very encouraging and we are grateful to all our clients and guests for their support."

Several major events look set to revive interest in the Horwich stadium and hotel, with live boxing, American wrestling and a production of Treasure Island all lined up before the end of 2019.