WANDERERS will go into recruitment mode after the Football Ventures consortium completed their takeover of the club last night.

The long-awaited confirmation finally arrived around 6pm on Wednesday evening, which gives the club ample time to register players for this weekend’s away game at Gillingham.

Jack Hobbs is likely to be the first officially signed up, having already agreed terms at the start of the season. The former Nottingham Forest defender has agreed a one-year deal but was forced to wait for Bolton to emerge from administration before the EFL would give him permission to play.

Another experienced head who is set to re-join is Gary O’Neil, last season’s player of the season and also a potential member of the new coaching staff being arranged by new ownership.

Wingers Will Buckley and Craig Conway have also been training with the club over the last few weeks and would be able to sign at short notice.

Players must be registered by Friday lunchtime to be able to feature at Gillingham.

Whatever the outcome of the next two days' recruitment, there will be a weight off the shoulders of the squad heading for Kent after the club was saved from liquidation.

Joint administrator Paul Appleton said Wanderers had been one of the most complicated deals he had ever been involved with but was delighted to announce the sale last night.

"At times, some of the hurdles appeared insurmountable and the frustration felt has been immense, not least by the supporters who have had to endure too many weeks of uncertainty,” he said.

"I would like to pay particular tribute to the Eddie Davies Trust and their legal team who, throughout this whole process, have been willing to do everything in their power to ensure Eddie's incredible legacy was maintained and not sullied.

"Even at the 11th hour when other parties were content to renege on their agreements, the Trust realised the very existence of Bolton Wanderers was at stake and were willing to find a compromise to save the club. It is a testament to their unflinching determination to do what was best for Bolton that we are able to complete the deal today.

"The Trust were forced to constantly compromise their position in the face of circumstances and demands which were wholly unreasonable. This says much about their determination not to allow Eddie's beloved Bolton Wanderers to suffer any longer at the hands of Ken Anderson.”