Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher knows only one thing will be accepted by everybody associated with the club at Wembley this weekend: promotion.
The former Plymouth and Stoke boss already has three on his CV as a player and manager and knows he needs a fourth to tick off a major target of the Lancashire side’s owners.
Schumacher, speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, said: “We feel as though it’s a club that’s probably in the wrong division and there’s no denying that. I understood that from the moment I joined the club.
“When I went for the job interview, there was no denying it. I’ve coached against Bolton a number of times and I know the size of the club. The objective with the players from day one of pre-season was that we need to be in a position that gives us a chance to get promoted.”
Promotion to the Championship would end a five-year exile in the third tier with Stockport County alone now standing in Bolton’s way. It’s a period in which the club have found their feet again after administration and two play-off defeats – a far cry from their Premier League heyday.
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But Schumacher stresses they are keen to move on from the scars of those dark days. “Since I’ve been here, I can honestly say I haven’t felt that,” he added. “I know this club went through really difficult times and it wasn’t long ago that it was right on the brink of going out of business.
“Thankfully some really good ownership came in: Sharon [Brittan] and the Football Ventures group came in and got the investment that was required to keep the club afloat and since that day seven years ago, I think it’s gone from strength to strength.”
Schumacher certainly knows what he’s doing when it comes to promotion having helped Bury and Fleetwood into League One as a player. Then, in just his first full-season as the manager at Plymouth, he led the club to a 101-point season and was deservedly named League One Manager of the Season.
View 3 ImagesSteven Schumacher lifted the League One title with Plymouth in 2023(Image: Getty Images)
He thinks that finally getting Bolton over the line would rank as his most impressive achievement, though. He said: “I think it would be the biggest, no doubt. The other promotions I’ve had as a coach and a manager have come without expectation, without pressure.
“The year we [Plymouth] won the league, nobody expected us to be there. The pressure wasn’t really on us. But the pressure is on at this football club and the fans demand that. I think it would definitely be the biggest achievement of my career so far.”
It hasn’t all been straightforward for Schumacher, though. His work with Plymouth caught the attention of Championship rivals Stoke City and he was handed a three-and-a-half year contract by the Potters in December 2023.
But he lasted less than a year at the Bet365 Stadium before becoming the latest promising coach to be jettisoned by the club. Despite that, Schumacher believes he does not have anything to prove.
He said: “I think everything, as in life, everything happens for a reason. We worked incredibly hard at Plymouth Argyle to get to the Championship. I left halfway through the season when Argyle had a really good start to the season.
View 3 ImagesSteven Schumacher spoke to Mirror Football on behalf of The Sky Bet & British Heart Foundation Every Minute Matters Campaign(Image: The Sky Bet & British Heart Foundation Every Minute Matters Campaign)
“I chose to go to a club that I felt would give me an opportunity to help that club kick on and compete in the Championship. My first objective was to keep Stoke in the league, I did. But then I had only had five games the next season before I was moved on.
“But I wouldn’t say I’ve got anything to prove. I know what my strengths are. My whole focus is that I’m now at a really good football club and want to get them back into the Championship.”
Planning for next season is already underway at Bolton, regardless of the result on Sunday afternoon. And while Schumacher is thoroughly enjoying the challenge in the North West, he can’t help but admit that he it is dream role to be manager of boyhood club Everton one day – but knows only more success will get him there.
He said: “I’ve gone on record before and said that would be my dream. Every young lad from Kirkby who’s a Blue will say the same. Obviously that’s a long way off. I’ve got a lot of work to do. A lot of promotions to get before I even get to that.”
Another one at Wembley this weekend with Bolton would certainly not be a bad start.
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As part of the Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign, this weekend Wembley Stadium’s stands will be temporarily renamed during the 2026 Sky Bet EFL Play-Off Finals to honour four football fans connected to extraordinary cardiac arrest and CPR stories. More than 200,000 supporters attending the Play-Off Finals will see the stadium takeover, designed to encourage more people to learn lifesaving CPR skills.
The campaign, supported by the EFL, has already inspired more than 520,000 people to start learning CPR through the BHF’s free RevivR training tool since launching in 2024. Every Minute Matters aims to raise awareness of the importance of immediate CPR and defibrillation, with every minute without intervention reducing survival chances following a cardiac arrest.
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