The club captain revealed that after the 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa on 5th April, the players felt they had the weight of the world on their shoulders.

And according to Nolan, the turnaround in form that followed, which saw Bolton maintain their league status, was thanks largely to the rousing support of the fans. 

He told the club's official website: "After the Aston Villa game, I remember asking the players in the dressing room, 'Do we want to be remembered as the players who took Bolton Wanderers down?' We were four points adrift by then and there was a harsh realisation among us all that we were really in trouble.

"But I never believed for a second that we wouldn't get out of it. In the end, it was great to survive and nice to prove one of two of the pundits wrong at the same time.

wonderful boost

"No matter what people think, we really do care and I think it showed that we care by the way we responded to the trouble we were in. It wasn't the easiest of seasons to say the least, but the lads were absolutely fantastic in terms of the effort they gave. No-one ever gave anything less than 110 per cent. The attitude, the commitment and desire was spot on.

"I can understand that the fans became frustrated because of some of the results we suffered. I was hurting and I know that they were hurting too.

"But the supporters turned out in numbers when we needed them most. They really came good. They were out in force and it was a wonderful boost for the players.

"I would like to thank the people who have stuck by us through thick and thin. They all know who they are. I know they will be delighted that we have managed to survive and have another season in the Premier League to look forward to."

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