ALEX Baptiste has explained why he politely turned down to the chance to start his coaching career with Wanderers to head out as a free agent this summer.

The 36-year-old defender was offered a player-coaching role in the new B Team set-up but told The Bolton News that he is hopes to continue playing for at least 12 months.

This will be Baptiste’s 20th year as a professional, having represented Bolton in two spells alongside the likes of Blackpool, QPR. Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

And he is confident he can play on next year if an offer arrives from League One or League Two.

“To be honest, coaching is not something I want to do,” he said. “I’ve felt that way for a long time, probably my whole thirties.

“People have preferences and choices and I am sure I could do it – one million per cent – but it is just not what I choose to do right now.

“I am focussed on giving it at least one more season because I know I can still do a job.”

Baptiste will officially leave Wanderers this month, with Ian Evatt keen to invest in new players to push his side closer to the top six in League One.

Though disappointed to go after two happy years back with the club, Baptiste feels confident Bolton can get back into the Championship sooner, rather than later.

“Speaking to the gaffer after the end-of-season awards, you can see he wants to take the club forward,” he said.

“Obviously I go way back with him and so it was a chat between mates, really. I’ve known and played alongside Gillo (Matt Gilks) for a long time and Pete Atherton is someone who I have developed a lot of respect for as well, so as we’re all the same sort of age it was just a room full of old footballers having a chinwag.

“The gaffer wants to push on, he wants promotion next year, and he felt that the room in the budget he could get by releasing the lads he did would give him options.

“For me, it’s one of those things, it’s football.”

Baptiste now goes into the summer scramble to find a new club but can point to success at the UniBol, where his influence on younger players in the squad was highly regarded.

Despite the uncertainty of being out of contract, the defender is looking forward to speaking with clubs this summer to map out his next move.

“It’s something I have kind of got used to doing in the last four years or so,” he said. “I was at QPR and got released, went to Doncaster, got released, and then had a couple of great years with Bolton and I’m back looking for a club again.

“But you know me well, I am an honest person. If I didn’t think I could do it or that I’d be embarrassing myself, I’d quit now. No messing about.

“I didn’t play as much as I would have liked last season but when I did, I thought I did OK.

“I was a right-back at Wycombe and did pretty well, then away at Accy I played fine. I know I can still contribute at League One or League Two level.

“I work with a guy up here and train every day now I am back off holiday. He has quite a few footballers in, so it’s something I have done before. I am not scared of going on trail – I did it at Doncaster and I did it at Bolton and got a contract on merit.

“I am quietly confident I will find a club and that means I’ll have done 20 seasons, which is a nice round number. If I’m honest there might not be many more – maybe two, who knows – but I know I can still do a job. The wheels aren’t falling off yet.

“I’m especially confident for League Two because you look at my last full season. If I went down to that level I’d want to be promoted again.”