10 Former Players Bolton Wanderers Could Do With Now

6. Joey O€™Brien

In his nine years at the club, Irish defender Joey O€™Brien featured 70 times for the first-team in all competitions. A versatile footballer who can play in midfield or anywhere across the back four, he was a particular favourite of Sam Allardyce who gave him 34 appearances during the 05/06 season as a 19 year old before a serious injury ruled him out of the entirety of the following season and a large chunk of the 07/08 season. He did manage to make 26 appearances during that season, operating in his customary midfield role instead of the right-back role that he had been played in up until then. Injuries would again dictate that the Irishman would play just eight games for the Trotters over the following three seasons and he was released at the end of the 10/11 season. Big mistake. When O€™Brien is old and grey and looks back on his career, there is one man who he owes more than most to - Sam Allardyce. Not only did his former Bolton boss give him his first break in the game, but he revitalised his career at a time when not many were willing to take a punt on the injury-prone Irishman. Snapped up in the summer of 2011 with West Ham laying in the Championship, O€™Brien made 32 league appearances for the club as they achieved promotion at the first time of asking. He would go on to make 33 Premier League appearances the following season, and 17 the year after that, while his old club lay rooted to the nether regions of the Championship abyss.