Just three days remain until Wanderers kick off their league campaign at home to Sheffield United
With the start of the new campaign now just a matter of days away, Wanderers' official website continues its series of countdown articles profiling former players of the club.
Robbie Elliott
July 1997 – July 2001
A product of Newcastle United’s youth academy, Robbie Elliott enjoyed six years as a professional at St James’ Park before making the move to the Reebok Stadium in the summer of 1997.
With Wanderers newly promoted to the top flight, the stage was set for the defender to make his mark, but fate was to be cruel as he suffered a double leg fracture against Everton in his first match on home soil, meaning he missed the entire 1997/98 campaign as Bolton suffered relegation.
Returning to the fold the following season, he marked his first game back against Norwich with a goal and ultimately helped the club to reach the play-offs in each of the next two seasons, infamously being red carded alongside Mike Whitlow in the club’s semi-final defeat to Ipswich Town.
Eventually winning promotion with the club with victory over Preston in 2001, Elliott departed Bolton that same summer and returned to his boyhood club, eventually winding his career down at Sunderland, Leeds and Hartlepool.
Where is he now?
After retiring, he moved to America to work with the US Soccer Federation.
Julio César
2004 - 2005
A true journeyman, Julio César’s spell with Wanderers was unfortunately not one to remember for the club’s fans nor the defender himself.
Having been on the books of teams such as Real Madrid, AC Milan and Benfica amongst others prior to his arrival in England, much was expected of the Brazilian as he made the move to the Reebok Stadium in 2004.
Unfortunately restricted to just five appearance in the white of Wanderers, the centre-half scored one goal for the club in a League Cup clash against Yeovil Town before a broken foot sustained against Manchester United on Boxing Day effectively brought the curtain down on his Bolton career.
Where is he now?
Going on to feature for eight more sides between 2005 and 2014, César did pick up silverware with Tigres, Olympiacos and Sporting Kansas City before retiring last year following a brief spell with Honduran outfit Parrillas One.
Marcos Alonso
July 2010 – July 2013
A talent nurtured by Real Madrid’s youth academy, Marcos Alonso Mendoza made just a solitary appearance for the Bernabeu outfit’s senior side before moving to England in the summer of 2010.
Having figured for Real’s B side on a regular basis, his efforts for them ultimately caught the eye of Wanderers who secured the 19-year-old’s signature, handing him his debut in a League Cup win against Southampton just a month after his arrival.
Scoring his first goal for the Whites against Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 2012, Alonso managed a total of five strikes in 45 appearances during his three year stay at the Reebok Stadium, eventually moving to Italy with Fiorentina in July 2013.
Where is he now?
Enjoying a brief loan spell with Sunderland in 2014 – one which saw him figure for the Black Cats in their League Cup Final defeat to Manchester City – the Spaniard returned to Italy where he has remained since.
Other Bolton Number 3s include: Jimmy Phillips, Mike Whitlow, Simon Charlton, Jlloyd Samuel, Alan Hutton and Dean Moxey