Dion Charles is happy to be a team player at Wanderers – even if that means sometimes coming off the bench.

The tenacious striker was introduced for the final 20 minutes at Wycombe on Friday night as Bolton claimed a point against the league leaders.

Charles also made a big impact off the bench against Stevenage and Mansfield earlier this season, getting on the scoresheet both times.

“I want to play every single game possible, I love being on the pitch and scoring goals,” he told The Bolton News ahead of the trip to Adams Park.

“But at the end of the day, it is the manager’s decision and if he feels it is better to go with someone else from the start, that’s up to him.

“I will give my all every time I pull on the shirt and step onto the pitch. I am a nuisance so I am sure the last thing some defenders will want is me coming onto the pitch when they are tired!

“At this club, we are blessed to have the quality we do. Whether I am on from the start or not, we are in it together and all want the same thing come the end of the season. We have all got to buy in and perform when it is your time.”

Wanderers’ strike department has been boosted by the return of Carlos Mendes Gomes, who spent the best part of a year on the sidelines with an Achilles problem.

The 26-year-old got some minutes under his belt for the B Team on Wednesday afternoon and was named on the bench at Adams Park.

“I was watching him and he looked really sharp,” said Charles. “We have got a few injuries coming back now, we have been unlucky with injuries this year.

Gomes is back from injury (Image: CameraSport - Jake Kirkman)

“We are lucky at this club to have talent and players where other boys can fill in. But missing players like Carlos, Eoin Toal, Josh Sheehan, it is obviously going to affect any team.

“We have just got to buy in, work hard and perform if you are given the chance.”

It has been another productive year on the international stage for the Northern Irish international, who signed off with a goal from the penalty spot against Belarus last month as Michael O’Neill’s side secured promotion in the Nations League.

They will now face Germany or Italy, as well as Slovakia and Luxembourg, in a bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico.

Charles has had a unique route to international football, plying his trade in the non-league pyramid with the likes of Fylde and Southport before bursting onto the scene at Accrington Stanley.

The 29-year-old was called up for the first time in 2021 and has since established himself as a reliable member of the squad.

Charles is relishing the challenge ahead and admits it would be a dream come true if they were to achieve qualification.

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t,” he said. “What young kid doesn’t dream of going and playing in a World Cup!

“That is what you play for - to play in big games and tournaments like that. I appreciate everything I have. I have worked hard to get where I am and it is a reward, but I don’t take it lightly.

“I work hard and enjoy going away (on international duty). My performances on the pitch for Bolton will only benefit from getting in the squad.”

O’Neill praised Charles after the most recent block of games and said the striker “gives us a little bit of everything”.

The Bolton man has enjoyed getting to test himself against quality opposition on the international stage and reckons it will only help his club form.

“Going away and playing for Northern Ireland is a great honour,” he added. “It is a brilliant test, you play against top talent and sometimes the best in the world.

“It gives you a platform to perform and show how good you actually are. I have done well, had praise from the manager and scored a couple of goals. I know that I am capable of doing it at that level.”