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Kaiyne Woolery is fast becoming a fans’ favourite at Wanderers.
The rapid youngster wasted no time snatching a winner for the Whites soon after getting off the bench against Rotherham.
And if he keeps this up, it won’t be long before the former Tamworth striker is given a regular spot in Neil Lennon’s plans.
Being an ex-non-league star is quite the vogue at the moment, with Jamie Vardy riding high at Leicester City atop the Premier League.
The 21-year-old would love to emulate Vardy, once of Stocksbridge Park Steels, who ply their trade at the same level as Maidstone or Redhill, where Woolery cut his teeth as a teenager.
“He’s shown that if you work hard enough then anything can happen for you in football,” he told The Bolton News.
“I think he’s a bit faster but I’d love to follow in his footsteps.
“A few years ago I was playing non-league and wouldn’t have dreamed I’d be playing in the Championship or in front of so many people. It really is a dream come true.
“I was 16 and then I played Ryman Premier at Redhill and then a year later for Maidstone, so it’s a long, long way from all this.
“It makes you appreciate things. You have to work a little bit harder because you haven’t been in the system. But if it’s meant to be, it will happen for you.”
Woolery found it difficult in his full debut against Wolves in midweek and had to wait until nine minutes from time to enter the fray against the Millers, with fans frustrated and the scoreline 1-1.
“The gaffer just told me to run in behind and cause them some trouble. They dropped deeper and there was a bit of space for other people to get on the ball,” he said.
“I saw Sparky (Mark Davies) had gone through one on one and thought the keeper could save it, so I gambled and followed-up. It dropped to me and I put it in the net.
“It was definitely the most important goal I’ve ever scored. It was a massively important goal because they are relegation rivals. If we can get ourselves in front of them it’d be great.”
Wanderers are now three points away from safety and lifted themselves off the bottom of the table for the first time in 14 games.
Lennon believes Woolery has still got some way to go before he will be a regular starter – but has high hopes for his “diamond in the rough.”
“He has got great pace but he doesn’t know the game yet,” he said. “But he was there to finish off a very well worked move.
“A bit further out he might have missed it but he has got a good striker’s instinct and that will give him a huge lift.
“He’s another young player coming through who will get bags of experience from it. We could do with help but that’s not going to be the case.
“He has good pace to get away from people and he can stretch teams. He is probably better up the middle.
“He has to work on his game because sometimes he runs into channels when maybe he can stand still and receive the ball.
“But hopefully that will all come with more work on the training ground. He is a bit raw but maybe he is a diamond we can polish up the rough edges. But he needs a lot of work.”
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The rapid youngster wasted no time snatching a winner for the Whites soon after getting off the bench against Rotherham.
And if he keeps this up, it won’t be long before the former Tamworth striker is given a regular spot in Neil Lennon’s plans.
Being an ex-non-league star is quite the vogue at the moment, with Jamie Vardy riding high at Leicester City atop the Premier League.
The 21-year-old would love to emulate Vardy, once of Stocksbridge Park Steels, who ply their trade at the same level as Maidstone or Redhill, where Woolery cut his teeth as a teenager.
“He’s shown that if you work hard enough then anything can happen for you in football,” he told The Bolton News.
“I think he’s a bit faster but I’d love to follow in his footsteps.
“A few years ago I was playing non-league and wouldn’t have dreamed I’d be playing in the Championship or in front of so many people. It really is a dream come true.
“I was 16 and then I played Ryman Premier at Redhill and then a year later for Maidstone, so it’s a long, long way from all this.
“It makes you appreciate things. You have to work a little bit harder because you haven’t been in the system. But if it’s meant to be, it will happen for you.”
Woolery found it difficult in his full debut against Wolves in midweek and had to wait until nine minutes from time to enter the fray against the Millers, with fans frustrated and the scoreline 1-1.
“The gaffer just told me to run in behind and cause them some trouble. They dropped deeper and there was a bit of space for other people to get on the ball,” he said.
“I saw Sparky (Mark Davies) had gone through one on one and thought the keeper could save it, so I gambled and followed-up. It dropped to me and I put it in the net.
“It was definitely the most important goal I’ve ever scored. It was a massively important goal because they are relegation rivals. If we can get ourselves in front of them it’d be great.”
Wanderers are now three points away from safety and lifted themselves off the bottom of the table for the first time in 14 games.
Lennon believes Woolery has still got some way to go before he will be a regular starter – but has high hopes for his “diamond in the rough.”
“He has got great pace but he doesn’t know the game yet,” he said. “But he was there to finish off a very well worked move.
“A bit further out he might have missed it but he has got a good striker’s instinct and that will give him a huge lift.
“He’s another young player coming through who will get bags of experience from it. We could do with help but that’s not going to be the case.
“He has good pace to get away from people and he can stretch teams. He is probably better up the middle.
“He has to work on his game because sometimes he runs into channels when maybe he can stand still and receive the ball.
“But hopefully that will all come with more work on the training ground. He is a bit raw but maybe he is a diamond we can polish up the rough edges. But he needs a lot of work.”
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