Bolton Wanderers striker Daryl Murphy has insisted he is ready to become a key figure up front for the club for the rest of the League 1 season and that he has the desire to prove that he is still able to score goals regularly this term.

Murphy was one of Bolton's nine new arrivals on the last day of the transfer window, arriving from Nottingham Forest with a wealth of experience having racked up over 400 career appearances in spells in England and the Scottish Premiership, and the 36-year-old has been brought in to help improve Wanderers ability to score more goals during the rest of the campaign.

However, the striker was ruled out of action in September with a calf injury, but he has managed to make his Bolton debut and return to first team action in Wanderers' last two league matches against Portsmouth and Blackpool, and will be hoping to help Bolton score more goals now that Keith Hill's side have tightened up in defence conceding just three times in their last five matches.

Speaking to The Bolton News, Murphy insisted he still has the fitness needed to play regularly for Bolton this term, and that he still has the desire to prove himself a reliable scorer for the club, saying: "Quality football has been played, I’ve seen plenty of chances created and that’s what I feed off.

"I think everyone looks at me as a target man but I might surprise a few people because I’m actually quite mobile. I will run channels and do whatever the gaffer wants me to do.

"I know I am at an age now but I have never had a problem with fitness.

"I have been lucky throughout my career with injuries, I have not had serious ones, just little niggles and I just can’t wait to get started properly because I am hoping to show everyone what I am about."

The Verdict

Bolton are in need of a player to start adding goals to the side if they are going to be able to build on an encouraging few matches as Hill begins to get his message across to his players, and Murphy's comments will be welcome to Wanderers supporters who will be hopeful that he can be the man to fire them to some much-needed wins.

The 36-year-old arrives at the University of Bolton Stadium with a hunger to show he still has the ability to be a reliable scorer and that could be a huge asset for Hill's side for the rest of the season, and Murphy showed in glimpses the quality he will add to the side in his first two appearances.

If Bolton can keep Murphy fully fit and supply him the service he thrives on then they will have every chance of being able to earn some crucial wins over the next few weeks and months, and Wanderers supporters will certainly be enthused by his latest comments.