Aaron Wilbraham has said that he was left devastated by the way his future was handled by Bolton Wanderers.

The 40-year-old spent just one seasons with the Trotters during the 2017-18 season - a campaign which saw him score just two goals in 27 appearances for the then-Championship club.

Despite starting just seven games all season, Wilbraham was handed a start in the final game of the season against Nottingham Forest - a fixture which saw the experienced striker find the net in the 88th minute to secure survival in dramatic style.

After scoring such a crucial goal, Wilbraham - who had already expressed his desire to stay at the club - said that he was confident of securing a new contract with the club but was disappointed with the way he found out that he was being moved on.

The striker now plays for Rochdale in League One, but couldn't hide his fury when telling the story during an appearance on the Under The Cosh Podcast.

Wilbraham explained: "Phil Parkinson was saying 'you've saved everyone's job' and everyone was saying 'is he getting another year then, gaffer?'. He said 'it's already being spoken about in there' because Ken Anderson was all buzzing.

"So I was expecting it and then they left it until June 7 - that's late to let you know if they're not going to - and the other lads who'd been released had been told around May 15.

"I'm saying to the Mrs, 'they'll give me another year and they may try to reduce my money, but I'm telling you they'll give me another year'.

"I met Phil Parkinson and when I walked in he said, 'Alby, I've been ringing Ken Anderson for the last six weeks. He's on a boat in Monaco ignoring my calls, so I think it's best I just say thanks for everything and all the best'.

"He just went to shake my hand and I was like, 'is that it gaffer, they're not offering me anything?'. And he said, 'I can't get hold of him and what he is telling me to offer you, I don't want to embarrass you. He's telling me to give you £500 a week'.

"I didn't feel like he'd fought my corner at all. He asked what I meant and I said, 'you've told me I scored the goal to save everyone's jobs. If I was you and I had a player who you'd bombed all season, not given a sniff and then put all the pressure on in that last game to do something and I've done it, then you just turn up and shake my hand'.

Parkinson has since taken charge of Sunderland, but hasn't endured the best of starts with the Black Cats, as he's won just two of his games in charge of the club.

Can you name the last 15 top goalscorers for Bolton Wanderers? Have a go!

"I was fuming. I sat in my car for about 45 minutes and Ben Alnwick was the first person to ring me. He asked what had happened and I told him. All the lads were fuming and I couldn't believe it.

"I rang my Mrs and told her I'd not been offered anything. I was devastated. It left me a bit bitter but, in a way, I knew I'd left in a good way."

The verdict

While this is only Aaron Wilbraham's side of the story, it just goes to show how much of a mess Bolton Wanderers were in.

Wilbraham's goal against Nottingham Forest was decisive in keeping the Trotters in the Championship, but with the financial situation around the club it was never going to be straight-forward to agree a new deal with the club.

What's done is done and now the focus for Bolton is on turning the corner and rebuilding.