IAN Evatt has played down the chances of Dion Charles leaving Bolton Wanderers in the January window – but believes his star striker does need to rediscover his sparkle.

Whispers that the Whites could be considering selling the Northern Ireland international have echoed around the fanbase over the last few weeks, fanned by the fact he has started just one of the last five games in League One.

But speaking to The Bolton News, Evatt said he had no wish to lose the 29-year-old this month, who has hit 20 goals in each of his last two seasons at the club.

Aaron Collins and John McAtee have nudged ahead in the selection stakes but with a packed January schedule in league and cup, Evatt insists rumours of Charles’s exit are wholly premature.

“Dion is our player, part of our team and part of our squad,” he said. “I don’t see that changing. Every player has a value, and if someone meets it then we’ll always take is seriously, no matter who they are.

“But for me Dion needs to focus on getting back to the levels he was at 12 months ago. I don’t think we have seen the best of him for a few months now. We have seen it in flashes and glimpses but not consistently, and we want him to get back there because we know what he ca do, he’s a fantastic player who has scored a lot of goals for us and a lot of goals at this level.

“But we have a really good squad and nobody is guaranteed anything.

“John and Aaron have struck up a pretty decent relationship and we have got Dion and Victor waiting for their opportunity. They will get them because we have six more games this month, and it is down to them now to see whether they can keep that shirt.”

Charles missed a large chunk of pre-season as he recovered from a knee injury initially picked up last January but then exacerbated whilst on international duty with Northern Ireland in the summer.

The striker has scored eight goals this term, his last strike coming in the 3-1 win against Mansfield on December 3, but Evatt says fitness is no longer an issue.

“The knee is OK but I agree, it definitely halted momentum,” he said.

“He did terrifically to play through the pain barrier last year when we needed him the most and he wasn’t 100 per cent fit. Then after that we needed to get the knee right, so he missed some of pre-season which can make you lose momentum for the start of the season, and that is what has happened for him a little bit.

“It doesn’t mean to say we think any less of him, we’re done with him, or we’re washing our hands of him – that is not the case. We have a good squad of players and sometimes it is good to share the pressure around. Dion has to be patient and wait for his opportunity and when he gets it, I think he will take it.”