IAN Evatt believes Josh Sheehan is starting to show what he can offer Wanderers in League One this season.

The Wales international caught the eye in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers and has been a mainstay of the midfield for Bolton throughout pre-season.

Sheehan signed on a free transfer after being voted into the League Two team of the year last season whilst at Newport County.

And after getting to grips with new team-mates and surroundings, Evatt reckons the 26-year-old is now starting to show the reason he was brought to the University of Bolton Stadium.

“He’s understanding what we want from him,” Evatt said after the Blackburn game. “As I’ve said before, when he first came, his talent is there for all to see, but in the Newport team because he was the most talented, he ends up following the ball around the pitch trying to get on it and make things happen.

“With us, he doesn’t need to do that, he needs to take up intelligent positions, half spaces, pockets of space, and then eventually because we can all handle the ball, we can get the ball to him in better areas of the pitch where he can affect it.

“I thought today he was excellent and I’m really pleased with him.”

Wanderers earned a draw against Championship Rovers thanks to goals from George Johnston and Dapo Afolayan, ensuring that they maintained an unbeaten pre-season.

Afolayan was another player who impressed on the day, teasing the visiting defence with a number of classy runs.

No player in League Two drew more fouls than the former West Ham winger after he arrived on loan from the Hammers in January – with Evatt calling for him to be given better protection from the officials on several occasions.

Afolayan is happy to get on with the job.

“It’s always better if referees can give extra protection but it’s part and parcel of my game,” he said. “I know it is coming and I am quite clever sometimes, so if a heavy challenge is coming in I know how to avoid it. But the higher you go up, the quicker the game gets, and it can look worse. I just try to brush it off.

“Sometimes I do get frustrated but to be fair the referee (Darren Handley) did a good job managing today’s game and letting things flow. It isn’t my job to get frustrated with it, the manager and staff are there to protect me. I know the rest of the boys have got my back and it would be the same if anything happened to them, I’d be there for them.”