AARON Collins believes both he and John McAtee can chip in with more goals next season as part of a new-look Wanderers attack.
The Welshman scored 19 goals last season, earning Bolton’s player of the year award, while striking partner McAtee added 12 in his first season with the Whites.
Collins and McAtee have traditionally played as secondary strikers, either in a wide position or as a number 10, but when Victor Adeboyejo’s season was cut short due to a knee injury, Dion Charles was sold to Huddersfield Town, and Kion Etete’s loan from Cardiff City was never completed, they found themselves as the only two senior forwards left.
Steven Schumacher is looking to bring in a centre forward this summer, which might allow Collins and McAtee to play in their preferred positions, and a deal for Wrexham’s Sam Dalby is believed to be nearing completion.
Collins told The Bolton News that with a redesigned attack, he and McAtee could profit.
“Macca has got plenty more goals in him and I know I have got plenty more in me,” added the striker.
“It’s a little annoying because we’ve never considered ourselves as number nines. I believe everyone in football understands that we have not seen ourselves as number nines.
“And over the last three or four months of the season, or maybe 20 games, we’ve had to be that number nine. And if you look back, Macca has 11 in the league, while I have 12.
“If you stated that both of your strikers, or the ones you’ve been relying on for so long, score more than ten league goals, there aren’t many teams that can do that.
“It’s annoying because Vic (Adeboyejo) would have done the same thing, and the entire Dion issue happened.
“At the end of the day, there were only two of us, and having three or four would have been ideal. However, if you are unable to do so, you must simply do what is required of you.
“I feel like me and Macca were doing everything we could have done but I know I missed a lot of chances, I know I can score more, that’s the frustration.”
Even if Collins is not a key player for Wanderers next season, he is not bashful about announcing his goal ambition.
With two and a half seasons as a Bristol Rovers player, the 28-year-old has 67 goals in the last four years. And he is convinced that he will be able to pass a critical landmark the next time around.
“Twenty is the first for me,” he explained. “You certainly want more, but 20 is available for me on this club, and I want to improve this season.
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