KEITH Hill believes Wanderers should be proud of their ever-improving reputation as a finishing school for young footballers.

Along with a number of success stories from the club’s academy in recent years, Hill has already shown an aptitude in the loan market – raising the stock of Thibaud Verlinden, Liam Bridcutt and Josh Earl in particular during their time at the UniBol.

New recruits Ethan Hamilton, from Manchester United, and Brandon Fleming, from Hull City, are also looking to build on decent starts at Bolton during the second half of the season.

And the signs are that they could be joined by a couple of other loanees by the close of the January transfer window.

Hill believes the standing of himself and assistant boss David Flitcroft should make the club an appetising prospect to send players for experience, improving his own team’s chances of surviving in League One.

“It’s a feather in the cap of the football club and it’s a marvellous club to work for,” he told The Bolton News.

“It’s a privilege to work here and other clubs see this as a great destination right here and right now, and also in the future, because it’s a learning environment.

“There’s an element, with respect to myself and Dave, that we have been trusted with a lot of good young players through the course of our careers and the players know they will get opportunities. Players who are already at the club are getting opportunities.

“We guide them, trust them, forgive them for making mistakes, we get success and they get success. So, for me, it’s a double win.”

Hill remains hard at work trying to bring in players ahead of Tuesday’s home game against Bristol Rovers.

He remains confident that the team will be stronger in the second half of the campaign.

“We are trying to rebuild another team off the back of one we put together in 48 hours,” he said. “And it has to be a team that is better than the one we built in 48 hours.”