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Jimmy Phillips has pleaded with Wanderers’ new ownership to secure the future of in-demand talent Rob Holding.
In a season of precious few positives, the home-grown defender has emerged from the backwaters of development squad football to command a regular place in the back four.
Several Premier League clubs have checked on Holding’s progress as his contract runs down to its final few months, while this afternoon’s opponents Reading had a £400,000 bid rejected in January.
Wanderers’ chief executive Dean Holdsworth told The Bolton News the club was “comfortable” with the 20-year-old’s contractual situation earlier this week but Phillips has added his voice to the many imploring swift action to tie him down to a longer deal.
“Rob is one we need to keep hold of if we possibly can tie him down to a longer contract,” he told The Bolton News. “I have been very pleased with him because he’s one we in the academy have always had high hopes for.”
Phillips has watched Tameside-born Holding come through the youth ranks, where he first signed at the tender age of seven.
Since being handed his debut by Neil Lennon at the start of the season at right-back, Holding has moved into the centre of defence and his performances have led some to suggest he should captain the club in the future.
Talk of a Premier League move has been treated with caution by Wanderers, who have an option to extend his contract.
But Phillips does not believe the transfer talk has affected the youngster’s game at all.
“He has very much kept his feet on the ground,” he said. “He has revelled in the publicity. Sometimes you do see players get affected and play a different game to the game that had got him up into the media glare.
“Rob is a level-headed lad. He had a dip in his form at 14-15 as many players do when they can’t get used to their body; he looked like Bambi on ice at the time.
“But we knew he would come out of that stage. And how he has played in the first team, a team that has had a hard season, he has been terrific.
“The surprise is, he has been very consistent. Usually as a young player you do have a dip in form. But I can’t think of any one game where he has played really badly. Certainly the games I have seen at home, he has played very well in every match.
“It is the level of consistency that isn’t often there in young players that has impressed me. He has played beyond his years.”
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In a season of precious few positives, the home-grown defender has emerged from the backwaters of development squad football to command a regular place in the back four.
Several Premier League clubs have checked on Holding’s progress as his contract runs down to its final few months, while this afternoon’s opponents Reading had a £400,000 bid rejected in January.
Wanderers’ chief executive Dean Holdsworth told The Bolton News the club was “comfortable” with the 20-year-old’s contractual situation earlier this week but Phillips has added his voice to the many imploring swift action to tie him down to a longer deal.
“Rob is one we need to keep hold of if we possibly can tie him down to a longer contract,” he told The Bolton News. “I have been very pleased with him because he’s one we in the academy have always had high hopes for.”
Phillips has watched Tameside-born Holding come through the youth ranks, where he first signed at the tender age of seven.
Since being handed his debut by Neil Lennon at the start of the season at right-back, Holding has moved into the centre of defence and his performances have led some to suggest he should captain the club in the future.
Talk of a Premier League move has been treated with caution by Wanderers, who have an option to extend his contract.
But Phillips does not believe the transfer talk has affected the youngster’s game at all.
“He has very much kept his feet on the ground,” he said. “He has revelled in the publicity. Sometimes you do see players get affected and play a different game to the game that had got him up into the media glare.
“Rob is a level-headed lad. He had a dip in his form at 14-15 as many players do when they can’t get used to their body; he looked like Bambi on ice at the time.
“But we knew he would come out of that stage. And how he has played in the first team, a team that has had a hard season, he has been terrific.
“The surprise is, he has been very consistent. Usually as a young player you do have a dip in form. But I can’t think of any one game where he has played really badly. Certainly the games I have seen at home, he has played very well in every match.
“It is the level of consistency that isn’t often there in young players that has impressed me. He has played beyond his years.”
Source
