Steven Schumacher believes there is big potential at Wanderers if they can make the “difficult” first step of getting out of League One.
Schumacher is entering his first full season in charge at the Toughsheet Community Stadium after succeeding Ian Evatt in January.
The head coach says he had opportunities in the Championship following his departure from Stoke City but felt Bolton “just felt right”.
“I think there is a huge opportunity here for us,” he told BBC Radio Manchester. “I inherited a good playing squad.
“As I said last year, I felt it was a little imbalanced in certain areas from a recruitment point of view, but it was talented.
“The opportunity to be able to compete at the top end of League One was what attracted me to it and the size of it, the potential of where it can get to.
“I had opportunities in the Championship that I didn’t feel were the right move at the time but this just felt right, and with the right people behind the scenes.
“That was why we made the choice and hopefully, we can get it right and do what we want to do.”
Schumacher has won promotion from League One before, guiding Saturday’s opponents Plymouth Argyle to the title in 2022/23.
“The first step of the journey has got to be trying to get out of this division,” he added. “I said that when I first came in January - that is the goal, to try and get out of League One.
“What this club has shown, certainly since I have been here, is how big the club is and the potential it has got.
“If we get into the Championship then there is room and opportunity for it to grow further because of the fanbase, the investment and the infrastructure behind the scenes.
“There is no limit to where it can go but we have got to take it one step at a time. The first one is very difficult, getting out of League One.”
The boss was quizzed about how he aims to build a winning culture, on and off the field, at Wanderers.
“I think that is what culture is – doing everything to the best of your ability. We hope that once you get a couple of results, that breeds confidence and once you get a confident team, it can be difficult to stop.”
Schumacher was also asked about the importance of the B Team and Academy when looking at the longer term picture.
A number of youngsters were handed opportunities in the first team squad at the back end of last season and some remained involved during pre-season.
“It is hugely important,” Schumacher insisted. “We saw at the back end of last season how well the young players stepped into the first team when needed.
“We didn’t have any players fit and available, we had 11 fit senior players at one point and we needed all the Academy lads.
“The role that Jules [Julian Darby] plays with the U18s and Andy Taylor and Andy Tutte with the B Team is huge because they have got to have those players prepared to step into the first team.
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“The messages we are giving down about how we want to play, that has got to be lived every day by the 18s and 21s so when they step into the first team, they are ready.
“Beyond that, the younger players who Dave Gardiner is in control of in the Academy, the objective for any club – in my opinion – should be bring your own players through so you don‘t have to go and spend huge amounts on transfer fees and wages.
“Get them into your first team through your Academy programme because everybody loves seeing a good young player in the team.”
Another topic on the agenda was the cup competitions and whether Schumacher’s sole focus will be on the league this season.
“I will be taking every game seriously, we think it is important to do that,” he explained. “You shouldn’t value one competition over the others.
“Obviously, the main objective for the club is to try and achieve promotion - and we play the most games in the league - so you have to concentrate the most on them.
“But a cup run, it breeds confidence, it keeps momentum. Sometimes if you have got a big squad it gives you an opportunity to rotate the team.
“I say to the players, ‘Prepare for every game exactly the same way, whether we are playing Man City U21s in the EFL Trophy or top of the league in League One’. The preparation is the same so the focus needs to be the same as well.”
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