Bolton Wanderers sign Stephen Crainey from Wigan as their new joint assistant manager

WANDERERS have appointed former Scotland international Stephen Crainey as a new member of the team behind Ian Evatt.

The 43-year-old joins Bolton as co-assistant manager after working in Shaun Maloney’s staff at Wigan Athletic last season.

Crainey is a former Blackpool team-mate of Evatt and his goalkeeping coach Matt Gilks ​​and also had spells with Celtic, Southampton and Leeds United during a 19-year playing career.

Having retired from the role in 2016 following spells with Fleetwood and AFC Fylde, he joined Fleetwood as youth coach in November 2021 and was quickly placed in temporary charge of the club in the second half of the season, helping them to last to avoid relegation to the 2nd League. on the freeway.

Crainey then moved to Wigan as head coach in the professional development phase (Under 21) and was recently listed as Latics first team coach.

As reported by The Bolton News this morning, club chairman Sharon Brittan has undertaken a thorough review of all the different departments at the club to see what can be improved to help their promotion chances next season.

Crainey’s appointment is understood to be the first of several behind-the-scenes changes aimed at improving life on the training ground, with improvements also being made to the first-team pitches and gymnasium this summer.

Current assistant manager Peter Atherton will remain in place, having joined the club alongside Evatt from Barrow in the summer of 2020.

Stephen Crainey celebrates a goal for Blackpool against Burnley in 2012 with Ian Evatt (Image: PA)

Evatt explained the decision to bring in his former team-mate from Bloomfield Road: “After quite a long review of the season we have a clear plan and an idea of ​​how we want to improve things on and off the pitch and this appointment is in addition. to what we already have. I think now, as a staff structure, we have all the boxes ticked,” he said.

“Reviewing every season you think about how we can improve, how we’re improving and what we lack in terms of our personnel skills.

“We’ve had discussions about a more holistic approach to staffing and the skill set that I feel we lack Stephen, who I’ve known for a long time, that he can provide.

“He’s an extremely good character, a strong character who knows what it takes to win and he’s going to be extremely additive with the rest of the staff, so I think it’s a very important meeting for us.”