The Baggies take on the Trotters in the Premier League on Saturday as Robinson returns to the club where he spent seven years as a player.
He did not spend long at The Hawthorns under Di Matteo as he looked to engineer a move to the top flight, but the Italian coach insists he was a fantastic servant to West Brom.
"I didn't work with him for long," Di Matteo told the Birmingham Mail.
"On the first day I met him I went 'hi Robbo' and he basically said 'Yeah, gaffer I want to leave'.
"I said 'I'm pleased to meet you too, come and see me after training'. That was our introduction.
"He's said sorry about it since then but I think it was just his strong belief he wanted to play in the Premier League.
"It was the same with Jonno (Jonathan Greening) as well. He wanted to stay in the Premier League.
"He was a fantastic servant but didn't want to be here with us. It was an easy decision then for the club to let him move on."
West Brom produced a remarkable performance last weekend as they secured a 3-2 victory away at Arsenal.
But Di Matteo has warned against complacency ahead of the Bolton match, saying the fans should not just expect an easy three points.
"I hope the fans understand our position and see that Bolton is a difficult game," he added. "It's one of the teams that is a competitor, even though they've been in the Premier League for many years.
"If we want to have a good season we need to be competitive against teams like them. I hope the fans don't get carried away by the Arsenal result.
"The way Bolton play is a bit of a mix. They can go very direct, as they have been for many years.
"They're trying to mix it up and I think Owen Coyle has said that.
"It will take time for the club to match his philosophy - as it happens when you go to a club who are used to something different."
Source: Team Talk
Source: Team Talk