PHIL Parkinson has revealed how Wanderers avoided potentially serious problems in the dressing room with a simple 15-minute conversation yesterday.

Bolton’s players had set a deadline of 5pm on Friday for the club to inform them on when their February wages would be paid.

The squad were poised to make an official complaint to the EFL with help from the PFA – but that scenario was avoided as Ken Anderson’s advisor, Paul Aldridge, turned up at the training ground to give some assurances yesterday morning.

Anderson has pledged to pay the squad in full if a takeover is not completed by Monday morning. And as The Bolton News went to press, the consortium headed by Parminder Basran and Sharon Brittan looked to be edging closer to a deal.

Legal papers were still being sorted late into the night, and provided there are no late snags, new ownership could now be announced over the weekend.

Parkinson had feared what mood his players would be in for today’s clash with Millwall after a week of distraction.

“I think the lads felt they had to do something. As much as they were pleased other people had been paid there comes a point that they want to know so they can adjust their own finances,” he told The Bolton News.

“People go to work to pay the bills, when the wages don’t come in there’s going to be huge frustration.

“The lads are happy with what they heard today, pleased with the communication, I think it has done us the power of good going into the game.”

Parkinson admits his players had started to grow weary of his own promises over wages after a number of delays in the last few months.

“I am happier that they have had some communication from Paul, and I said to him it’s the difference between me saying it and someone in a senior position coming down to the training ground and saying it,” he said.

“When it comes from me it’s like they’ve heard me say it so many times. I can see them looking at me and thinking ‘we’ve done this before.’ “I’m not involved in the detail of the takeover as you can imagine, but it sounds like it is progressing positively.

“Taking all the problems away, this is still a fantastic club. Whoever takes it on has got a great project ahead of them.”