Ian Evatt believes that the departed Harry Brockbank would have had reduced game time at Bolton Wanderers owing to the return to fitness of Gethin Jones and the signing of Marlon Fossey as he wished the defender all the best for the future.
The 23-year-old came through the youth team ranks at Bolton and made his Wanderers debut in April 2019 against Aston Villa during the club's most recent season in the Championship.
Brockbank has made a total of 37 appearances for Wanderers in all competitions and signed a new two-year deal with Bolton last year which was due to keep him at the University of Bolton Stadium until the summer of 2023.
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But he has now departed Wanderers, where he came through the youth team ranks after he joined at the age of seven and was part of the youngest side in Bolton's history in a 0-0 draw with Coventry City in August, 2019 while the club was in administration.
He has found regular game time hard to come by this season having made only seven appearances in all competitions after falling down the pecking order in the back four.
He usually operates at right-back, but Jones has now returned to the team after overcoming a fractured fibula and Fossey has joined from Fulham earlier in January, putting Brockbank down the order in the position.
Evatt admits that with Jones and Fossey, Brockbank's game time would have been reduced but believes that he has a great opportunity to head abroad with a move to the USA in the pipeline.
But the Bolton boss wished the defender all the very best for his future career in the game and believe sthe decision to part company was one which both parties understood.
Evatt said: "First and foremost, Harry is a wonderful lad. A fantastic lad. It’s really difficult for someone who grows up in the area and town and has that weight of expectation.
"But to have done what he’s done and achieve what he has - a promotion, captained the side under 23 years of age – it’s great for him.
"Sometimes in football you need to move on. Harry had opportunities this season and it probably didn’t work out how we both wanted it to really. We missed Gethin (Jones) and we managed to sign Marlon (Fossey).
"With Gethin being back, obviously Harry’s game time would have been vastly reduced and there was an opportunity for him to go and play abroad. That’s something that I regret never doing as a footballer, having an opportunity to test myself in a different culture and environment.
"He’s young enough to not have any ties here – obviously he’s got friends and family but it’s a good time for him to go and experience something completely different. So we wish him well and thank him for what he’s done. Hopefully, he’ll come back as a friend of the club in the future.
“I think all breakups are sad, but some breakups, both parties understand it’s for the right reasons and I think we both do.
"Harry has the weight of the world on his shoulders here, living in the area, being from the area, has grew up and played for the club, captained the club, had a promotion with the club, Harry owes us nothing and vice versa.
"We both felt that it was time for him to have a new challenge and what better opportunity for him to go abroad and sample a new culture, a new environment, and make a go of it. We wish him well and all the best and he’ll be a friend of this club for life.”
