Bolton Wanderers F.C. Reserves and Academy

They participate in the Manchester Senior Cup, although in recent years the teams entered in this competition have featured an increasing number of youth players.

Bolton Wanderers Development Squad
Full nameBolton Wanderers F.C. Development Squad
Nickname(s)The Trotters, Junior Whites
Founded1874 (as Christ Church FC)
GroundCounty Ground
Leyland
Manager Mark Litherland (Under-18s)
LeagueProfessional U18 Development League 2 North
2019-20


2019-20		Professional U23 Development League 2 North, 11th of 11
Professional U18 Development League 2 North, 9th of 11

Bolton Wanderers Development Squad play their home games at the County Ground in Leyland, the home ground of the Lancashire F.A.

Notable graduates of the squad include former captain Kevin Nolan.

The Academy

The Bolton Wanderers Academy was established in 1998 and is based at the club and the main training ground. It replaced the older, more informal youth system, and enabled the club to focus their youth development and scouting, employing new techniques and FA standards.

It was last overseen overseen by former Bolton Wanderers F.C. player Jimmy Phillips. It provides a stepping stone for youngsters to progress to the highest levels of football at Bolton Wanderers.

Scouts attend many local youth matches looking for talented boys. A boy will then be invited to attend training sessions at the Academy. They are taken in as young as the age of eight. At this age, the boys start by simply attending after-school training sessions, but as they reach their middle-teens, their academic needs will be taken over by the Academy if they are deemed athletically talented enough.

Between the ages of eight and twelve the boys play in eight-a-side games of three twenty-minute periods. It allows the boys to play as defenders or as attackers in small groups within a system and is not as physically demanding as playing eleven-a-side matches.

The first player to graduate from the Academy to the first team was the former club captain, Kevin Nolan who had previously been on the youth books of Liverpool. He has since been followed into the first team by Joey O'Brien, Ricardo Vaz Tê, Nicky Hunt. Josh Vela, Zach Clough and Rob Holding amongst others.

In December 2012, the Bolton Academy was awarded Elite status by the Premier League.[1]

In June 2015, it was announced that the club had sought to downgrade from a Category One status in order to save money.[2] On March 2020, the club announced it would down grade to Category Three.[3]

Players

Development Squad

In August 2016, the U21 side was renamed as the U23 side, after a consultation involving all 31 clubs in the Professional Development League 2, voted in favour of the new age parameters.[4]

Due to Bolton dropping to Category Three in March 2020, the development squad no longer exist as of June 2020.[3]

Academy (Under-18s)

As of February 2020.[5]

NamePositionDate of BirthNationality
Sonny AhmedMidfielder (2002-06-10) 10 June 2002
Bright AmoatengStriker (2002-11-22) 22 November 2002
Markus AssarssonDefender (2002-08-18) 18 August 2002
Joseph BrownDefender (2004-04-23) 23 April 2004
Ryan ColvinDefender (2003-01-08) 8 January 2003
Maxwell ConwayMidfielder (2003-09-05) 5 September 2003
Jay FitzmartinMidfielder (2002-09-14) 14 September 2002
Mitch HenryStriker (2003-09-02) 2 September 2003
Luke HutchinsonGoalkeeper (2002-09-01) 1 September 2002
Layton KirnonStriker
Kian Le FondreStriker
Ellis LitherlandGoalkeeper (2004-05-05) 5 May 2004
Finlay LockettMidfielder (2003-04-10) 10 April 2003
Rio McEvoyMidfielder
Arran PettiferMidfielder (2003-10-01) 1 October 2003
Jack ThompsonDefender (2003-11-02) 2 November 2003
Lamine ToureDefender (2003-12-24) 24 December 2003
Mathew TweedleyMidfielder (2004-04-16) 16 April 2004
Nathan WhalleyDefender (2003-01-18) 18 January 2003
Max WilcoxMidfielder (2003-09-11) 11 September 2003

Managerial History

Reserves/Development Squad

Youth Team/Academy

Staff
  • Academy Manager: Mark Litherland
  • Academy Assistant Manager:
  • Academy U-16 Coach: Julian Darby
  • Academy Goalkeeper Coach:
  • Head Academy Physiotherapist: Ali Gibb
  • Head of Education: Lee Wood

In addition, the academy employ staff from the first-team.

Graduates

The following players have been associated with the Bolton Wanderers Academy and have gone on to play league football for Bolton or other clubs since the Academy was founded in 1998.

Academy Graduates who have made at least one senior appearance for the Bolton Wanderers first team.

Other players associated with the Academy who have made at least one senior appearance for league clubs in Britain or abroad.

Notes
  1. "Academy Awarded Top Status".
  2. "UPDATED: Wanderers to save £1 million by downgrading youth academy". The Bolton News.
  3. https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/18277578.bolton-announce-plans-step-category-three-academy/
  4. "Professional Development League switches to Under-23 format".
  5. BWFC.co.uk: "Wanderers Academy confirms scholar intake"
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