Find out all you need to know about the youngsters who turned out for the Whites against Atherton last Saturday afternoon
Following on from the club’s first friendly against Atherton Collieries last weekend, bwfc.co.uk sat down with Under-18s’ coach David Lee to offer an insight into the club’s scholars.
Last season’s meeting with Colls saw a number of now-recognisable faces turn out for the Whites, with the likes of Rob Holding, Alex Finney and Kaiyne Woolery – three players currently in the first team mix – all featuring prior to making their respective senior breakthroughs.
Now looking at the next generation of Bolton talent, many of the club’s scholars have already featured at both Under-18 and Under-21 level while a handful are currently enjoying their first foray into the academy on a full time basis.
And as a man who knows the Whites’ youngsters better than most, Lee ran the rule over a selection of his players who turned out last Saturday in order to give the Bolton faithful an insight into the up and coming talent at Macron Stadium.
Jake Turner – He is a second year scholar goalkeeper who did very well in 2015/16 and played in a couple of Under-21s games. There is no doubt that he’ll be pushing for his place in the club’s second string once again this term.
Callum Spooner – A right back who boasts impressive fitness levels, he is the son of our Under-16s coach Nicky Spooner. Callum has been working hard over the summer so he is ready to hit the ground running this season.
Cole Lonsdale – Now in his second year as a scholar, he’s a left-back who played regularly for the Under-18s last season. We’re definitely expecting him to push into the Under-21s this coming campaign.
Alex Honeyball – A third year scholar having been rewarded with an extension in the summer, Alex is a big, strong aggressive centre-half who will no doubt feature in the Under-21s this term.
Alex Perry – Another third year who earned an extension, Alex is a central midfielder who constantly looks to get on the ball and is technically very talented.
Harry Brockbank - Harry is a second year centre-half who featured regularly for the Under-18s in 2015/16 and will be eager to make the step up further this year.
Jack Everest – Jack is a second year who is capable of playing either right back or right wing, but he’ll be pushing for more regular football with the Under-18s this term with a view to moving into the U21s.
Alex Samizadeh – A very enthusiastic little striker who constantly causes havoc for centre halves, be they tall or small! He’s very capable of both scoring and creating goals as he showed last season.
James Aspinall – He’s a first year goalkeeper who has come into the academy full time this year. He was given 20 minutes experience in the recent Atherton Collieries friendly and had a handful of appearances with the Under-18s in 2015/16.
Jack Earing – Jack is a central midfielder who played regularly with the Under-18s last season and promises a lot this term.
Matthew Marsh – He unfortunately saw his season ruined with injury last year as he suffered a broken ankle, but he’s done a lot of rehab and is eager to get into the mix in 2016/17.
Jordan Grant – Jordan is capable of playing either at right-back or left-back, but he played regularly for the Under-18s last year alongside a few cameos for the development squad.
Tom Grivosti – A centre-half, he is a willing lad who is strong, aggressive and always wants to make tackles and headers. He did well for the youth team last year.
Ronaldo Pearson – He’s a combination of a right winger and a striker who has got bags of energy and pace. He will always cause problems in and around defences.
Ryan White – He is capable of playing at either right wing or left wing, but he predominantly plays on the left. He’s a tricky player with a very good turn of pace who likes to take people on.
Dennis Politic – He’s a first year who came in last season – he had an introduction to the Under-18s then and we’ve got high hopes for him yet again this term.
Matthew Fearnley – Another Under-16 who has come in as a first year this summer, he’s a striker who had experience with the Under-18s last term and will be looking to push on in 2016/17.
Anas Abdo - A second year scholar at the academy, he unfortunately struggled with injury last season but having now recovered is eager to make his mark as an attacking player for the club's young sides.
Luca Navarro - Although he's only just in his first year as a scholar, Luca played in a handful of Under-18s games last season and even scored a few goals.
William Hartshorne - A first year centre-half, William likes to compete physically against strikers with controlled aggression. He was rewarded for his hard work with inclusion in a few Under-18s squads towards the end of last term.
Cameron Moore - A first year striker, Cameron likes to run beyond defenders to score goals.
Brandon Lee - Brandon is here on an extended schoolboy contract, so he's currently combining his full time education with football. He's a left back who likes to support the front play.