Kevin Davies expects to stay at Bolton next season

Bolton captain Kevin Davies revealed relegation from the Barclays Premier League felt like a "bad dream" but believes he will still be at the club next season.

Davies is out of contract in the summer and despite being a transfer target for Sunderland in January, the 35-year-old suggested he will remain at the Reebok despite his side's fall to the npower Championship.

The Wanderers' 11-year stay in the top flight came to an end yesterday at the Britannia Stadium after they could only manage a 2-2 draw with Stoke.

Only a win, coupled with defeat for QPR at Manchester City, would have been good enough to keep them up.

Bolton looked to be on their way to avoiding the drop at half-time with bizarre goals from Mark Davies and Kevin Davies cancelling out a controversial opener from Jon Walters, while City were also ahead.

However QPR came back to take the lead and when Walters equalised from the penalty spot, Bolton's relegation was sealed despite City's dramatic late win at the Etihad Stadium.

"It's like a bad dream at the moment," Davies said.

"We had to win the game and we put ourselves in a position to do that.

"We were looking comfortable, as we have done in recent games, but we just haven't done enough as a team, from the front to the back, to win the game. We came here with a chance and we've let that chance go.

"It's been a hard season, for me personally. Being out of the side for three or four months was hard to take at first but I fought to get back in the side.

"I was hopeful that the goal, the cross or whatever you want to call it, would have been enough, but we've not done enough.

"After 38 games we find ourselves in the bottom three so we have to take responsibility for that. It's difficult to take, you just want to go and bury your head somewhere."

But despite the disappointment, Davies alluded he will more than likely stay at Bolton next season.

"We find ourselves in the Championship and that's a new challenge for the club," Davies said.

"Obviously the club have got a number of decisions to make on a number of players but we'll rebuild and get a good squad together, and hopefully that will be a good enough squad to get us back up.

"It's in the hands of the manager, the chairman and the owner. I thought this day wouldn't come so it's over to them now.

"Certain targets may change now. There's no doubt the Championship is a difficult league to get out of.

"The club will back those announcements and decisions, some players may have made their decisions already.

"I don't want to talk about it too much really but I'm pretty sure I'll be here next year."

Davies, who joined the club from Southampton in 2003, also believes it will take him time to move on from the way Bolton's relegation played out on an emotional final day of the season.

"It could have been so different," he said.

"We could be talking about the great escape. It's going to take a while to get over.

"I just feel like I've let everyone down at the moment, my family and the fans and everyone."

Stoke midfielder Rory Delap believes Bolton's relegation shows how competition in the Premier League is getting tougher every season.

"Bolton have been in it for a long time, and this just shows that every year you have to keep working harder and harder," Delap said.

"A team like Bolton have some great quality in the side and a good manager.

"It was a tremendous effort for us to get back in the game. Their first goal was a rebounded clearance and their second was an obvious cross, but that happens and you have to deal with it."

PA