Countdown to 2016/17 - 10 days to go

With just ten days remaining until the start of Wanderers' 2016/17 campaign, bwfc.co.uk's countdown continues

There's some iconic names in the latest of bwfc.co.uk's countdown articles, as the club's website continues its build-up to the new campaign.



John McGinlay 
September 1992 – November 1997

A true journeyman of the game, McGinlay started out in his native Scotland before moving south in 1985 and playing for Yeovil Town, Elgin City, Shrewsbury Town, Bury and Millwall before joining Wanderers in 1992.

Going on to average almost a goal every two games whilst in the north-west, he helped the club earn promotion twice during his five year stay, eventually moving on to Bradford City in the summer of 1997.

Winding down his career with stints at Oldham Athletic and latterly over in America with a number of sides, McGinlay also briefly managed the Gresley Rovers and Ilkeston Town before hanging up his boots for good in 2006.

Where is he now?

Now back in his spiritual home of Bolton where he runs his own pub, the striker also summarises for BBC Manchester alongside Jack Dearden at Wanderers’ home games.



Jay-Jay Okocha
July 2002 – July 2006

So good they named him twice, Okocha arrived at the Reebok Stadium in the summer of 2002 boasting an impressive back catalogue in the game.

Winning numerous accolades with Borussia Neunkirchen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe and Paris Saint-German, eyebrows were raised when the Nigerian made the move to England with Bolton having only narrowly avoided relegation the previous May.

Helping the club beat the drop once again in his first season at BL6, he then ensured the club’s place in the final of the Carling Cup with his two goals in the first leg of their semi-final against Aston Villa.

Going on to turn out for the Whites on 145 occasions before departing in the summer of 2006, he figured for Qatar SC for a season before returning to England with Hull City, eventually hanging up his boots at the end of the 2007/08 campaign.

Where is he now?

Since retiring, Okocha held the role of vice chairman of the Delta State Football Association (DFA) for two years before getting elected as the association’s chairman in March 2015.

In June 2016 meanwhile, he launched the Jay-Jay Okocha Foundation with the objective of using football to raise awareness on the strategic importance of education, peace and unity for the economic growth of Nigeria.



Martin Petrov
July 2010 – January 2013

Prior to his initial move to English soil with Manchester City in 2007, Bulgaria international Petrov had certainly made his mark on the game on the continental scale.

Featuring for Botev Vratsa and CSKA Sofia in his homeland during the late 1990s, winning the Bulgarian Championship with the latter in 1997, he ventured to Switzerland with Servette FC before linking up with VfL Wolfsburg where he went on to enjoy 
the most fruitful spell of his career in terms of game time.

Linking up with Atletico Madrid for two seasons in 2005, he moved to Eastlands eight years ago and made the switch to Wanderers in 2010, unfortunately suffering relegation with the club in 2012.

Departing the Whites a season later, he went on to ply his trade for Espanyol before returning to his former employers CSKA Sofia in October 2013, eventually retiring the following summer.



Other Bolton No.10s include: John Solako, Dean Holdsworth, Ebi Smolarek, Riga Mustapha, Jermaine Beckford and Zach Clough

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