Just a few years ago, Bolton Wanderers were earning a point at European heavyweight Bayern Munich in a UEFA Cup tie at the Allianz Arena. The Germans, while not the Guardiola-lite powerhouse of today, still boasted the likes of Oliver Kahn, Franck Ribery, Toni Kroos and Bastian Schweinsteiger, so when Kevin Davies netted a late equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw, the Trotters were in dreamland. Of course, Bolton were used to such scalps over the big boys. Sam Allardyce had departed for the north-east in the summer, but under him he had developed the plucky First Division side into a tough-tackling, hardened Premier League unit who consistently overthrew those who dared to escape the Reebok Stadium with all three points. In the last ten years, the Trotters have not only enjoyed two European adventures, but they have appeared in a Carling Cup final, finished in the top 8 on four consecutive occasions and attracted a host of top-class 'superstars' to the club. Who could have ever dreamed that the likes of Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha and Nicolas Anelka, for example, would be donning the white of Bolton Wanderers after all their past achievements and credentials? Unfortunately for the Trotters' faithful, the last few years have been nothing short of a nightmare since their relegation from the top-flight in 2012. A narrow miss on the play-offs during the 12/13 season was followed up with a 14th-placed finish last season and with the club perilously perched just four points above the drop-zone, a return to their old stomping ground looks more distant a dream than ever. Take a look at the ten former Bolton Wanderers players that their squad could desperately do with right now.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
