Why Matete is loving his football at Bolton after injury woe

Jay Matete is finding his groove at Wanderers and hopes to kick on after a tough time with injuries.

The midfielder arrived at Bolton with a point to prove after a frustrating year, which saw his playing time limited at Sunderland and then Oxford.

Matete is starting to show what he can bring to the Whites following some assured displays in the middle of the pitch.

“I didn’t really play much football last year because of injuries but now I feel like I am getting into it,” he told The Bolton News.

“I got another 90 minutes under my belt so I am getting back to where I need to be. I don’t know the timing of when I will feel (back to my best), I am just taking it step by step and not thinking about it too much.

“I feel like I am building some good momentum. All I want to do is play football and play with a smile on my face. I just need to keep building and hopefully help the team get results.

“We didn’t start the season great but after Huddersfield, we have won a lot of matches. We just had to iron a few things out, but we are getting in our groove now and starting to enjoy our football more.”

The 23-year-old has shown early signs of a promising partnership with Josh Sheehan and is enjoying playing alongside the Welsh international.

“He is a top player and I am enjoying playing with him,” he added. “He has got a lot of experience so he is kind of helping me as well in the middle of the park.

“He is technically really good anytime I can get the ball to him and let him do his thing.”

Matete arrived at Wanderers with an impressive League One CV, having had success with Sunderland, Plymouth and more recently Oxford, although injuries impacted his involvement for the latter.

“We have got a really good dressing room, we have got boys who are desperate to achieve things,” he insisted.

“We have a hungry set of lads so I don’t see why we can’t challenge at the top. We just have to take it game by game, there is still a long way to go and we are confident that we can do something this year.

“We don’t look at anyone and think they are miles ahead, we back ourselves. There are a lot of teams who would probably back themselves to (be challenging) but we are confident that we can do that.”

Saturday’s trip to Walsall looks set to be another tricky test, but Matete is eager to keep building momentum if called upon against the Saddlers.

“They are doing well in League Two so it will be a tough game,” he said. “We will go there, battle it out and hopefully get through to the next round.

“It was tough (at Stevenage) because they ask a lot of questions of you and put it into the box early.

“We had to be competitive and win our duels. Personally, I just want to carry on what I am doing, helping the team and enjoying my football.”