Home
DARREN Pratley has been installed as the new captain of Bolton Wanderers.
The midfielder, who signed a new three-year contract this summer, will wear the skipper’s armband which was vacated by Matt Mills at the end of last season.
It completes a remarkable turnaround at the Macron Stadium for Pratley, who had struggled to hold down a regular place at Wanderers until Neil Lennon’s arrival in October.
The 30-year-old has now been given the biggest vote of confidence possible – with Lennon confirming he will be the man to lead the club into the new Championship campaign.
“He’s the right age, he’s got experience, quality, he’s got leadership qualities and they respect him in the dressing room,” he told The Bolton News.
“I think it’ll also give Jay Spearing a little bit less of a burden so he can improve his all-round game.”
Pratley failed to hold down a regular spot under the man who signed him, Owen Coyle, or Dougie Freedman but came into his own last season once Lennon installed him as the energetic heartbeat of his midfield.
“I’ve always liked him as a player,” he said. “I liked him in his Swansea days when I was at Celtic.
“You never lose your ability, but sometimes you lose your way a little bit, psychologically and confidence-wise. I just needed to put my arm round him, get him in the team and he performed very, very consistently for us. He was a big loss to us when he eventually went out for the season with injury.”
Wanderers were well beaten by SC Paderborn last night in their final game of their Austrian tour, with Gary Madine netting the only goal in a 4-1 defeat in Kapfenburg.
“I’m not interested in results at this stage,” Lennon insisted. “The fact we got no injuries from the game was pleasing and the players got more minutes under their belts, which is all I’m really looking for at this stage.
“I’ve been through enough pre-seasons to know that results don’t really matter at this stage, so if people want to moan and groan, then fine.
“It has been a very good trip. The players have worked very hard for me and we will get better and stronger. They have applied themselves well and in terms of a football exercise, we got out of it what we wanted.”
Meanwhile Wanderers were breathing a little easier yesterday as Leicester City finally filled their managerial void with the surprise appointment of ex-Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri.
Speculation over whether the Foxes would approach Lennon had become somewhat of a millstone around the club’s neck in recent weeks.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/13417038.Darren_Pratley_gets_the_captain_s_armband_at_Bolton_Wanderers/
The midfielder, who signed a new three-year contract this summer, will wear the skipper’s armband which was vacated by Matt Mills at the end of last season.
It completes a remarkable turnaround at the Macron Stadium for Pratley, who had struggled to hold down a regular place at Wanderers until Neil Lennon’s arrival in October.
The 30-year-old has now been given the biggest vote of confidence possible – with Lennon confirming he will be the man to lead the club into the new Championship campaign.
“He’s the right age, he’s got experience, quality, he’s got leadership qualities and they respect him in the dressing room,” he told The Bolton News.
“I think it’ll also give Jay Spearing a little bit less of a burden so he can improve his all-round game.”
Pratley failed to hold down a regular spot under the man who signed him, Owen Coyle, or Dougie Freedman but came into his own last season once Lennon installed him as the energetic heartbeat of his midfield.
“I’ve always liked him as a player,” he said. “I liked him in his Swansea days when I was at Celtic.
“You never lose your ability, but sometimes you lose your way a little bit, psychologically and confidence-wise. I just needed to put my arm round him, get him in the team and he performed very, very consistently for us. He was a big loss to us when he eventually went out for the season with injury.”
Wanderers were well beaten by SC Paderborn last night in their final game of their Austrian tour, with Gary Madine netting the only goal in a 4-1 defeat in Kapfenburg.
“I’m not interested in results at this stage,” Lennon insisted. “The fact we got no injuries from the game was pleasing and the players got more minutes under their belts, which is all I’m really looking for at this stage.
“I’ve been through enough pre-seasons to know that results don’t really matter at this stage, so if people want to moan and groan, then fine.
“It has been a very good trip. The players have worked very hard for me and we will get better and stronger. They have applied themselves well and in terms of a football exercise, we got out of it what we wanted.”
Meanwhile Wanderers were breathing a little easier yesterday as Leicester City finally filled their managerial void with the surprise appointment of ex-Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri.
Speculation over whether the Foxes would approach Lennon had become somewhat of a millstone around the club’s neck in recent weeks.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/13417038.Darren_Pratley_gets_the_captain_s_armband_at_Bolton_Wanderers/
