IAN Evatt says he will “embrace the extra responsibility” given to him by the Wanderers board after the departure of Tobias Phoenix.

Appointed as a head coach in the summer, the Bolton boss is now officially ‘manager’ after the club parted ways with Phoenix in the head of football operations role a fortnight ago.

Evatt will now lead the whole football department, including coaching and scouting, and is hopeful of making some key appointments to strengthen the backroom team in the near future.

Discussing his new role, Evatt insists he can lead Wanderers back up the Football League pyramid after being given a greater say in the direction of the club.

“That’s massive faith in me being shown by the board. I will repay it,” he told The Bolton News.

“I live and breathe football. There isn’t a minute of the day that I am not thinking about us, the group, how we can improve, and my wife will tell you that.

“I am very fortunate and grateful for what I am doing. People ask me all the time whether this is a bigger job than I realised – and it is. It is a massive job because there has been so much to sort out but I do feel like we’re heading in the right direction.

“I feel like we’re drawing the outline of our beautiful picture, so to speak, and that is will come together. Like everything, it’s a process, and we have to believe in it.”

Phoenix’s surprise exit this month saw the end of Wanderers’ experiment with a ‘director of football’ structure and revert back to a more traditional hierarchy.

It is understood a chief scout and at a first team coach could be installed once the restructure of jobs at the academy is finalised – a process which has dragged on considerably longer than anticipated.

Evatt has distanced himself from the details and has declined to comment on the details behind Phoenix’s departure.

He is determined, however, to put in place a structure which will serve Wanderers well in a football environment which has altered significantly in the last 12 months during the pandemic.

“I am just focussed on my role and I have been since day one,” he said.

“Yes, it has slightly changed now because I have more responsibility. I will embrace that and take it on, making the best decisions I possibly can.

“I don’t leave any stone unturned, there’s no guesswork, and I try to limit risk as best as I can by taking on information, listening to people, speaking to people.

“We need to set up a proper structure at this club where are ahead of the game. We can’t attract and spend the money we used to do, so we have to do the due diligence, find the diamonds in the rough, turning them into our own. And that work is ongoing now.

“There will obviously be times when we need to sign an Eoin Doyle, an Antoni Sarcevic or a Nathan Delfouneso, who have proven track records. But with the salary cap you are limited to what you can do.

“You have to be better than the opposition with your research, your decision making in recruitment, because everyone has the same budget.

“All that planning is going on right now for January and the summer. It probably sounds strange that we’re already on with summer but for us to be the best in whatever division we’re in we have to be ahead.”

Phoenix had a big hand in Bolton’s recruitment plans following his appointment in February, working with Evatt to identify and land around 20 new players in the summer window.

The success rate of those signings has come in for heavy criticism by the Wanderers fans during an inconsistent start to the campaign but the manager is now looking to reduce risks in the future by bringing in an improved scouting structure.

“We are already preparing and looking towards the summer,” he said. “We know who is fit for purpose and where we need to strengthen. There will be a proper structure in place for recruitment and we will know what we are doing, we have to be ahead of the game.

“I can’t sit here and give you details on what is happening, only to tell you it is happening.

“The board has been excellent. Sharon (Brittan) is a great woman who has been massively supportive. She firmly believes in me as I do her and her vision for the club. We know we will have success in the future but we’re still building the foundations.”