Wanderers have taken their number of summer signings into double figures with the loan capture of Hull City striker Mason Burstow.
Burstow has joined the Whites on a season-long loan from the Championship club to further strengthen Steven Schumacher’s squad in a vital position ahead of Sunday’s League One opener at Stockport County.
The first-day fixture will mean a rapid return to Edgeley Park for the 21-year-old, who scored the Tigers’ winner with a powerful header in a pre-season friendly against Stockport last Saturday.
“I think another one on Sunday would be a perfect start,” said Burstow after checking in at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. “I've obviously played against them this Saturday, so I have a bit of familiarity with how they're going to set up and hopefully I can get off to a good start like I did at the weekend.
“Whenever you score, friendly or competitive, it's always a good feeling. It always gives you that extra boost of confidence as well. So with the new shirt and the new club, hopefully I get the same result.
“I’m looking forward to wearing this shirt and representing the club, with the stature of Bolton as well. It's always a club you look at and think they definitely are better than League One, so hopefully I can help get over the line.
“I’m excited to get started. It was one of the plans that they needed a striker and I'm glad they decided to go with me. I had a few conversations with the gaffer and our plans and ideas for the season align, so it should be good.
“It'll be good to meet the lads and hopefully fit in straight away, with the other new boys as well, and then we can get off to a flyer.”
Burstow ends, for now, a 12-month stint with Hull after signing from Chelsea in August, 2024 following a season-long loan with Sunderland in 2023/24 when he chalked up further Championship experience.
The London-born forward – who also has two Premier League appearances with Chelsea on his CV – is a key acquisition for Wanderers going into the new campaign and will wear squad number 48.
Standing at six-feet-two, the powerful frontman will add further pace, power and a goal threat as a focal point to the Whites’ strikeforce following the signing of former Wrexham striker Sam Dalby – who will miss the start of the season through injury – earlier in the summer.
Schumacher, Wanderers’ Head Coach, said: “This is another important signing for us and we’re delighted to have Mason on board. We’ve made no secret of the fact that we wanted to add another striker to the squad and Mason fits the bill for the type of player we wanted and with the attributes we were looking for.
“He’s still a young player but one with a good taste of first-team experience at a high level who wants to keep improving and developing with us. Hopefully we will bring the best out of him in a role he’s keen to play and I’m excited about what he can do for us this season.”
Burstow, who signed an initial four-year deal when he joined Hull last season, started his career in youth football at Welling and Maidstone United before graduating to the professional ranks at Charlton Athletic when signed by the League One Addicks in the summer of 2020.
The then-teenager made an instant impact in senior football at The Valley, following a goal on his debut in August, 2021 with five more to land a mid-season move to Chelsea – where he had previously been on trial – ahead of a return to Charlton on loan for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.
Burstow spent the 2022/23 season back at Stamford Bridge and after cutting his teeth in Chelsea’s U21s made two Premier League appearances from the bench and a League Cup start in August, 2023 before moving to Sunderland on loan.
Hull then took him to Humberside last summer and after featuring mainly from the bench - and often from a wider attacking position - in chalking up 31 Championship appearances, Burstow now gets the chance to make his mark with Wanderers as the tenth recruit of Schumacher’s new-look squad.
Watch a full interview with the Whites’ latest new signing on Wanderers TV and get the chance to see Burstow training with his new team-mates at an open training and signing session at the Toughsheet Community Stadium from 11am tomorrow (Tuesday). For details click HERE.