Allardyce: Bolton need Europe to keep Anelka

Allardyce said: “We have a very ambitious player who has publicly stated his ambition to play in Europe. He has got a responsibility as well as all the other players to make sure we achieve our target.

“Without doing so, I don’t think Nicolas Anelka would be happy, and nor would any other player. We have lived with the expectations we have built over the last few seasons and now we have to go forward from that.

“The European attraction is crucial to bringing in better-equipped players to be successful both in Europe and the Premiership. That has a big standing now when you are trying to bring players in.”