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Derik Osede is keen to get back into Neil Lennon’s good books – even if it means playing out of position.
The summer signing lost his place after the goalless draw at Preston North End last month after a stint in unfamiliar territory at right-back.
Josh Vela – himself more accustomed to a midfield role – has since moved into the role after another unsuccessful trial with Prince-Desire Gouano against Ipswich.
But Derik, a natural centre-half, is seeking to get back into the side for this weekend’s trip to Reading, wherever it may be.
“I have never played at right-back before in my career – maybe in training, but never in a game,” he explained. “It is not my natural position but I don’t mind at all.
“I prefer to play anywhere and I’ll play where my coach wants me to.
“I am ready to be called upon and if that means right-back, then I will do that for the team.”
Derik’s introduction to life at Bolton has been a stop-start affair. Injured in the penultimate pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic he sat out the first six games. And once restored to the back four he picked up the first red card of his career in a desperately disappointing second half at Huddersfield in September.
Referee Trevor Kettle’s decision still rankles a little with him – but not quite as much as the 4-1 defeat at the John Smith’s Stadium.
“I was disappointed to be sent off against Huddersfield – I felt that the second yellow card was very hard on me, but it happens,” he said. “The referees have a small amount of time to make a decision and unfortunately it was to dismiss me.
“I was upset, but I shut my mouth and went back to the dressing room. Obviously I was very angry because we lost the game and also because I had picked up my first red card but ultimately the most important thing is the team.
“We are only one member of a team and we must work hard to succeed.”
Adjusting to new surroundings has not been easy for the young defender, whose career to date has been spent under the wing of Real Madrid’s feeder system.
Results on the pitch haven’t helped – but Derik remains confident he will not regret swapping Spain for the rainy north west of England.
“Being in a different country now, I know that I will still need to adapt to the game here but I feel that I have done okay. I am only 22 and I hope I will have a bright future,” said the youngster in an interview with the club.
“Coming to England, I will only develop as a player and a person because I have never left Madrid before this year – I was comfortable there and it was my home. But in life you have to make choices and I think I made the best choice for me in coming to Bolton.
“The fans are very lovely with me. Having grown up in Spain the fans are a little more fanatical in their support of the team, but the supporters in England are much more respectful, and that is great.
“Here I feel very comfortable when I meet fans to sign autographs and take photos – I enjoy it very much.
“The coverage of players in Spain on the television is crazy – they have very long programmes just talking about one player, so here it’s nice to be able to play football, speak to the fans and live my life.”
Derik has also been helped by the fact his brother is now living in London – but the stylish centre-half says he knew what he was getting himself into at Bolton, having watched a legend at work.
“I used to watch Bolton when I was younger because my father is from Nigeria and I supported the Nigerian national team because of that,” he added.
“When I was a child, Jay-Jay Okocha was playing for Bolton so I watched him all the time. I loved to watch him play, he was very iconic; he played like a ninja!
“It was a pleasure to watch a footballer like him with the quality and the technical ability that he has and he did very well for Bolton too.”
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The summer signing lost his place after the goalless draw at Preston North End last month after a stint in unfamiliar territory at right-back.
Josh Vela – himself more accustomed to a midfield role – has since moved into the role after another unsuccessful trial with Prince-Desire Gouano against Ipswich.
But Derik, a natural centre-half, is seeking to get back into the side for this weekend’s trip to Reading, wherever it may be.
“I have never played at right-back before in my career – maybe in training, but never in a game,” he explained. “It is not my natural position but I don’t mind at all.
“I prefer to play anywhere and I’ll play where my coach wants me to.
“I am ready to be called upon and if that means right-back, then I will do that for the team.”
Derik’s introduction to life at Bolton has been a stop-start affair. Injured in the penultimate pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic he sat out the first six games. And once restored to the back four he picked up the first red card of his career in a desperately disappointing second half at Huddersfield in September.
Referee Trevor Kettle’s decision still rankles a little with him – but not quite as much as the 4-1 defeat at the John Smith’s Stadium.
“I was disappointed to be sent off against Huddersfield – I felt that the second yellow card was very hard on me, but it happens,” he said. “The referees have a small amount of time to make a decision and unfortunately it was to dismiss me.
“I was upset, but I shut my mouth and went back to the dressing room. Obviously I was very angry because we lost the game and also because I had picked up my first red card but ultimately the most important thing is the team.
“We are only one member of a team and we must work hard to succeed.”
Adjusting to new surroundings has not been easy for the young defender, whose career to date has been spent under the wing of Real Madrid’s feeder system.
Results on the pitch haven’t helped – but Derik remains confident he will not regret swapping Spain for the rainy north west of England.
“Being in a different country now, I know that I will still need to adapt to the game here but I feel that I have done okay. I am only 22 and I hope I will have a bright future,” said the youngster in an interview with the club.
“Coming to England, I will only develop as a player and a person because I have never left Madrid before this year – I was comfortable there and it was my home. But in life you have to make choices and I think I made the best choice for me in coming to Bolton.
“The fans are very lovely with me. Having grown up in Spain the fans are a little more fanatical in their support of the team, but the supporters in England are much more respectful, and that is great.
“Here I feel very comfortable when I meet fans to sign autographs and take photos – I enjoy it very much.
“The coverage of players in Spain on the television is crazy – they have very long programmes just talking about one player, so here it’s nice to be able to play football, speak to the fans and live my life.”
Derik has also been helped by the fact his brother is now living in London – but the stylish centre-half says he knew what he was getting himself into at Bolton, having watched a legend at work.
“I used to watch Bolton when I was younger because my father is from Nigeria and I supported the Nigerian national team because of that,” he added.
“When I was a child, Jay-Jay Okocha was playing for Bolton so I watched him all the time. I loved to watch him play, he was very iconic; he played like a ninja!
“It was a pleasure to watch a footballer like him with the quality and the technical ability that he has and he did very well for Bolton too.”
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