IT’S good to feel wanted again, admits Bolton Wanderers striker Tom Eaves after moving to Bury on loan until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old target man has made just four substitute appearances in the league for Bolton since being signed by Owen Coyle from Oldham in August 2010.

Yet he was flung straight into the starting line-up for Bury in their 1-0 win at Mansfield on Saturday, just hours after his registration was announced by David Flitcroft’s League Two promotion chasers.

“The manager really wants me to be here,” said the 6”3 Aintree-born striker, who has been farmed out on loan to five different clubs – Bury, Yeovil, Rotherham, Shrewsbury (twice) and Bristol Rovers - since joining Bolton as an 18-year-old.

“He went out of his way to make the connection with Bolton to get me here. I think that makes a difference, when you really know someone wants you.

“I already feel wanted here and I could see the eagerness and the positivity in the side as soon as I came here.

“As soon as I went into the changing room I could feel it. It’s quite infectious, the positivity. It feels like a really good environment to be in.”

Eaves completed 84 minutes on what was a promising debut that saw him hold up the ball well and provide a good outlet in a disciplined if not eye-catching performance by the Shakers.

He also had a goal disallowed for offside, volleying in a clever cross from Nicky Adams from six yards before the referee’s assistant raised his flag.

Improving his goal threat is key for the young striker, after failing to score in seven appearances on loan at Yeovil earlier in the campaign and one brief cameo for Bolton in their 4-3 defeat at home to Watford last month.

In fact, the goals have proved hard to come by for the past couple of seasons, since Eaves hit 13 in 34 appearances at Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury in 2012/13.

Last campaign he managed just three in 35 appearances – mainly on loan at Rotherham and Shrewsbury – with his last goal coming more than 13 months ago.

“I made a few bad loan decisions, but you can’t really blame anyone else but yourself,” he said.

“At the end of the day I haven’t scored enough goals, hopefully I am going to turn that around here at Bury.

“That’s the bottom line.”

But, on first impressions, Eaves feels he has found the right place to make his mark and has not ruled out making the move permanent if things work out in the final 10 games of Bury’s League Two campaign.

“In previous loan moves it has been about a relegation battle,” he added, after helping Bury move up to fifth in the table, four points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

“It is nice to come into a team where they are creating a lot of chances – it is a nice difference.

“I just need to score some goals and be in a team, where I feel a togetherness.

“This is a good place to do that.

“And who knows what can happen in the future?

“It’s difficult to say. I don’t know what the manager’s plans are for me at Bolton. Obviously I will have to clarify that, but let’s just see what happens.”