How Bolton Wanderers icon Ivan Campo has reacted to promotion at Wembley | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers hero Ivan Campo has sent a message following the club's promotion from League One to the Championship...

After six years in League One and League Two, Bolton Wanderers are a Championship club again in 2026/27. Club icon Ivan Campo is delighted for the Trotters, too.

Bolton Wanderers were a Premier League club for 13 of the 17 seasons between 1995 and 2012, including 11 in succession prior to that last campaign in 2011/12. In that time, they had plenty of iconic players, including Ivan Campo.

It took them a third play-off campaign in the last four seasons to get over the line in League One, beating Stockport County 4-1 at Wembley in the sunshine to seal a place against the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United in the Championship.

Of course, they only spent the one season in League Two back in 2020/21 but Bolton have had to suffer plenty of heartbreak and difficulty since losing their top flight status back in 2012. Fans will hope that they have turned a corner and some stability can be found in the second tier.

Ivan Campo's message to Bolton Wanderers supporters

In the long run, Bolton will hope to return to the Premier League eventually. For now, this promotion is a sign of significant progress for a sleeping giant outside of the top two divisions of English football.

In that Premier League era, Youri Djorkaeff was the World Cup winner that symbolised Bolton’s rise from relegation battlers to a respected top-half side, while Jay-Jay Okocha was arguably the ultimate Bolton cult hero. However, only four players have more appearances in the Premier League for Bolton than Ivan Campo.

Jussi Jaaskelainen, Kevin Davies, Kevin Nolan, and Ricardo Gardner all outstrip Campo's 172 games for Bolton in the English top flight, with the iconic Spaniard arriving from Real Madrid in 2002 on an initial loan before five permanent years with the club.

In 194 appearances in total, he scored 14 and assisted a further 10. However, he was a real fan favourite and his connection with supporters is why he will know how much yesterday meant.

Speaking via Instagram, he said: "Congratulations on the promotion to the entire @officialbwfc team winning the final of the promotion playoffs in a stadium like Wembley.

"Brilliant !!! And congratulate all the Bolton fans (30,000) who came to the stadium to support and encourage their team. @efl @skysports @skysportsfootball #bwfc #white #winner #wembley #football 💯%❤️🤍⚽️🍀"

Ivan Campo's legacy at Bolton is what fans will want to recreate again soon

Campo became a cult hero at Bolton because he perfectly embodied the club’s rise under Sam Allardyce. Fans also fell instantly in love with his passion, scruffy appearance, huge curly hair, and wholehearted commitment.

More importantly, he was an outstanding player — versatile, tough in midfield and defence, but also technically brilliant on the ball. Campo played a huge role in Bolton qualifying for Europe and helped transform them from relegation battlers into a respected Premier League side.

That is what Bolton fans will be dreaming of if they can quickly consolidate and build in the Championship, knowing the potential the club has to return to former glory. They will be desperate to have more iconic moments with a fun and committed team again.

For Campo, his most iconic moment was arguably the stunning 40-yard strike against Spurs in 2006, which is one of the best goals seen at the Reebok Stadium.

Fans also adored his emotional connection to the club, which is why many will love his response to getting back into the Championship.