Bolton Wanderers F.C. Reserves and Academy

Bolton Wanderers Development Squad
Full name Bolton Wanderers F.C. Development Squad
Nickname(s) The Trotters
Founded 1874 (as Christ Church FC)
Ground County Ground
Leyland
Manager England Iain Brunskill (Under-21s) & England Jimmy Phillips (Under-18s)
League Professional U21 Development League 1 Division 2
2013–14


2013–14		 Barclays U21 Premier League, 13th
Barclays Under 18 Premier League North Division, 9th

Bolton Wanderers Development Squad are the youth team of Bolton Wanderers and play in the FA Premier U21 League, Division 2. They also participate in the Manchester Senior Cup, although in recent years the teams entered in this competition have featured an increasing number of youth players.

Bolton Wanderers Development Squad play their home games at the County Ground in Leyland, the home ground of the Lancashire F.A.

Throughout the history of Bolton Wanderers F.C. many of the club's best known players have progressed through the reserve team. These include former captain Kevin Nolan.

The Academy

The Bolton Wanderers Academy was established in 1998 and is based at the club and the main training ground. It replaced the older, more informal youth system, and enabled the club to focus their youth development and scouting, employing new techniques and FA standards.

It is overseen by former Bolton Wanderers F.C. player Jimmy Phillips. It provides a stepping stone for youngsters to progress to the highest levels of football at Bolton Wanderers.

Scouts attend many local youth matches looking for talented boys. A boy will then be invited to attend training sessions at the Academy. They are taken in as young as the age of eight. At this age, the boys start by simply attending after-school training sessions, but as they reach their middle-teens, their academic needs will be taken over by the Academy if they are deemed athletically talented enough.

Between the ages of eight and twelve the boys play in eight-a-side games of three twenty-minute periods. It allows the boys to play as defenders or as attackers in small groups within a system and is not as physically demanding as playing eleven-a-side matches.

The first player to graduate from the Academy to the first team was the former club captain, Kevin Nolan who had previously been on the youth books of Liverpool. He has since been followed into the first team by Joey O'Brien, Ricardo Vaz Tê and Bolton born Nicky Hunt.

In December 2012, the Bolton Academy was awarded Elite status by the Premier League.[1]

Players

Development Squad

The following players are expected to play for the Bolton development squad during the 2014–15 Professional Development League, Division 2. They will compete in the league along with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Reading, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Three players over the age of 21 and players from the U18 side are also eligible to play in these fixtures and the games will usually take place on a Monday afternoon or evening. Furthermore at least two of the club's development fixtures must be played at the Macron Stadium as per FA rules introduced in 2012.

The development squad is currently managed by former Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers coach Iain Brunskill as of November 2014.

As of 31 July 2014[2] Squad Numbers refer to players' first team squad number (for season 2014–15), where applicable. Reserve and youth games are 1–11.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
25 England MF Josh Vela
30 England FW Kaiyne Woolery
34 England GK Ross Fitzsimons
37 England DF Quade Taylor
39 Northern Ireland MF Chris Lester
40 England FW Zach Clough
41 England DF Oscar Threlkeld
46 Bulgaria FW Georg Iliev
48 England DF Niall Maher
49 England FW Aaron Knight
No. Position Player
50 England DF Ryan Sellers
52 England FW Tom Walker
- England DF Alex Finney
- Slovenia DF Matija Boben
- England GK Harry Campbell
- England DF Rob Holding
- England FW James Ball
- England MF Elliot Newby
- England MF Aaron Birch

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
32 England FW Tom Eaves (on loan to Bury until 31 May 2015)
38 England FW Sanmi Odelusi (on loan to Coventry City until 31 May 2015)
42 England MF Luke Woodland (on loan to Oldham Athletic until 13 Apr 2015)
43 England DF Andy Kellett (on loan to Manchester United until 31 May 2015)
48 England DF Niall Maher (on loan to Blackpool until 31 May 2015)

Managerial History

Reserves/Development Squad

Youth Team/Academy

Academy (Under-18s)

As of February 2015.[3]

Name Position Date of Birth Nationality
Will Abbotts Striker 13 March 1997 Wales
Max Allen Midfield 8 September 1997 England
James Ball Defender/Striker 1 December 1995 England
Harry Campbell Goalkeeper 16 November 1995 England
Channing Campbell-Young Midfield 18 September 1996 England
Christopher Cvetko Striker 2 April 1997 Austria
Enock Likoy-Elumba Striker 25 November 1997 England
Alex Finney Defender 6 June 1996 England
Tyler Garratt Defender 26 October 1996 England
Luke Griffiths Midfield 10 August 1998 England
Rob Holding Defender 20 September 1995 England
Alex Honeyball Defender 26 January 1998 England
Will Jaaskelainen Goalkeeper 25 July 1998 England
Francis Kenyi Defender 16 November 1997 England
Carl Kennedy Midfield 11 September 1996 England
Danny McKenna Striker 4 January 1998 England
Glenn Matthews Defender 9 November 1994 England
Kieran Nolan Defender 24 January 1997 England
Tyrell Palmer Midfield 5 October 1997 England
Alex Perry Midfield 4 March 1998 England
Nathaniel Phillips Defender 21 March 1997 England
Ryan Sellers Defender 13 October 1994 England
Callum Spooner Defender 15 February 1998 England
Jamie Thomas Striker 10 January 1997 Wales
Yvan Wassi Defender 6 May 1997 England

In addition, the reserves and academy employ staff from the first-team.

Graduates

The following players have been associated with the Bolton Wanderers Academy and have gone on to play league football for Bolton or other clubs since the Academy was founded in 1998.

Academy Graduates who have made at least one senior appearance for the Bolton Wanderers first team.

Other players associated with the Academy who have made at least one senior appearance for league clubs in Britain or abroad.

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/article/academy-awarded-top-status-531444.aspx
  2. ↑ "Reserves Profiles 2012/13". bwfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  3. ↑ "Development Squad & Under-18 Profiles". bwfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-02-21.

External links