"This is a fantastic achievement. We finished eighth last season and our aim was to beat that and to get into the top six.
"Now we are there and it is the crowning glory for Sam, his finest hour. This is the ultimate. Saying that Bolton are in Europe does not exactly roll off the tongue.
"I have played for the club, coached and been assistant-manager and I know it had taken a lot of hard work to get to this level.
"When I first came here we were in the third and fourth divisions so the way things are going maybe we will be in the Champion's League next year."