Will Forrester is excited to return to his old stomping ground when Wanderers head to Port Vale this weekend.

Forrester departed Vale Park to join the Whites over the summer and made his first league start in the 1-1 draw against Peterborough last weekend.

The centre-back made 38 appearances for the Valiants last season, proving himself at League One level after coming through the ranks at Stoke.

“It is one I am looking forward to personally,” Forrester smiled. “Obviously, I want to get the three points with Bolton.

“But it will be nice to be back where I was last season. I am really looking forward to it and hopefully we can get the three points.”

He continued: “(My time there) was massive for me, coming from Stoke and going from Academy football to make that jump to men’s first-team football.

“I will always be grateful to Port Vale for giving me that opportunity and a platform to play. I am looking forward to the game.”

The 22-year-old got minutes under his belt in the cup competitions during the early weeks of the season and slotted in seamlessly against Posh while Ricardo Santos and Eoin Toal were both unavailable.

“That is the same, not just at Bolton but at any club,” he explained. “You are never guaranteed to play.

“I had the same last season, I had to bide my time. Hopefully, now that I am in I can keep performing well and keep that shirt.

“I know we have got a lot of very good competition and I think it is healthy, it keeps you on top of your game.”

Forrester has typically played as a wide centre-back for the Whites but found himself in the middle of the back three last weekend.

“You have to adapt your game slightly but, first and foremost, you have got to defend the box well,” he stated.

“The difference in the middle is obviously you have got to hold down the fort almost because of the way we play.

“We play high and we like to play one-v-one so the middle is a massive role for our team. When you are playing wide, it is completely different.

“We like to progress with the ball and play forward, whereas you can’t always do that from the middle.

“It is almost the same but you have to adapt your game a little bit. I enjoy playing any of the three and I think it is a good strong in my bow.”

Wanderers have taken 14 points from their opening eight games in League One this season, and the defender is eager to keep getting points on the board.

“I think it has been a solid start,” he said. “Obviously, we have had a few disappointing moments with the Wigan and Reading games, which we will learn from and hopefully turn those kinds of games into three points down the line.

“(Peterborough) ended up being a good point and hopefully we can kick on.”

It has been a difficult spell for Wanderers due to injuries and things aren’t about to get any easier, with Gethin Jones and George Thomason both suspended for this weekend’s game, but Forrester insists the squad has pulled together in the face of adversity.

“I think you have to do it as a team,” he added. “Every team goes through spells where they have a lot of injuries and suspensions, so it really shows the togetherness of the team.

“I think we showed that (against Peterborough), even though we didn’t get the three points.

“The fans respect that desire that everyone showed and it is crucial for the team to be together in these times. When we get players back, it will be really good for us.”