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Antonee Robinson is hoping to show he is a class act after going back to school at Bolton Wanderers.
The Everton academy graduate was a surprise loan arrival at the end of last week, appearing on the bench in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat against Leeds United.
He is now poised to make his debut in the Carabao Cup against Crewe tonight and excited about the prospect of continuing his footballing education.
“It’s my first loan so it’s a big step up from the Under-23s at Everton last season,” he said. “I am in a good team there, which has done well, and we’re all keen to show we can play first team football.
“The Championship is a big challenge for me but I can’t wait for it.
“I know Bolton is a club on the up. I have had friends on loan here like Chris Long and they seem like a great set of lads. Hopefully, I can settle in nice and quick.
“It was weird walking into a dressing room and having to introduce myself to everyone. David Unsworth (Everton’s Under-23s coach) rang me up and said it would be like the first day of school.
“It’s the first time I’ve been away from the Everton lads but I’m determined to show I can stand on my own two feet.”
Attacking full-back Robinson will be one of several changes for Wanderers tonight at Gresty Road as Phil Parkinson looks to minimise the chances of early-season injuries.
The 20-year-old says he is ready to go, having completed a full pre-season with the Blues youngsters in Spain. And Robinson hopes an impressive season in the Championship at Bolton could book him on the first team plane next summer.
“I just want to get as many games as possible and obviously it will be the highest level I have performed at,” he told The Bolton News. “If I can impress at this level who knows what next season holds for me?
“It all depends on how I am performing. I’d love to play first team football and if I do well here and impress the manager and he takes a chance on me, I’d be ready straight away.
“There are lads playing in the Championship who have gone out on loan who I have known since I was 11 and I will be playing against. So, it’s brilliant.”
Robinson has already come across Bolton in his short career, turning out in their victory at the Macron last year in the Checkatrade Trophy.
“It was one of my favourite matches,” he said. “We had a bit of an underdog team with lads going away on internationals but we still managed to pull off a win.”
An American citizen, Robinson may also be able to press his international claims with a solid season for the Whites.
Robinson qualifies for the States through his father Marlon, who played football for Dukes University, and has already turned out for their Under-18s against Germany.
“I ended up playing centre back instead of left back so I was a bit scared,” he admitted. “But it was okay in the end.
“The last time they asked was last season but it was outside the international window so I didn’t go.
“I’d love to play for them again. Until the first team comes in for you internationally any chance you get to go and play against higher level competition you should take. So, whether it’s England or America you’d be delighted to play for both.”
Phil Parkinson admits the League Cup is not highest on his list of priorities
“This game is about improving performance levels, giving players minutes, trying to progress into the next round,” he said. “Any manager would be lying if he said the league wasn’t priority but equally five or six years ago I was stood talking about Bradford City’s first game in the competition and saying the same things. A few months later we’d got all the way to the final and made history for the club.“
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The Everton academy graduate was a surprise loan arrival at the end of last week, appearing on the bench in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat against Leeds United.
He is now poised to make his debut in the Carabao Cup against Crewe tonight and excited about the prospect of continuing his footballing education.
“It’s my first loan so it’s a big step up from the Under-23s at Everton last season,” he said. “I am in a good team there, which has done well, and we’re all keen to show we can play first team football.
“The Championship is a big challenge for me but I can’t wait for it.
“I know Bolton is a club on the up. I have had friends on loan here like Chris Long and they seem like a great set of lads. Hopefully, I can settle in nice and quick.
“It was weird walking into a dressing room and having to introduce myself to everyone. David Unsworth (Everton’s Under-23s coach) rang me up and said it would be like the first day of school.
“It’s the first time I’ve been away from the Everton lads but I’m determined to show I can stand on my own two feet.”
Attacking full-back Robinson will be one of several changes for Wanderers tonight at Gresty Road as Phil Parkinson looks to minimise the chances of early-season injuries.
The 20-year-old says he is ready to go, having completed a full pre-season with the Blues youngsters in Spain. And Robinson hopes an impressive season in the Championship at Bolton could book him on the first team plane next summer.
“I just want to get as many games as possible and obviously it will be the highest level I have performed at,” he told The Bolton News. “If I can impress at this level who knows what next season holds for me?
“It all depends on how I am performing. I’d love to play first team football and if I do well here and impress the manager and he takes a chance on me, I’d be ready straight away.
“There are lads playing in the Championship who have gone out on loan who I have known since I was 11 and I will be playing against. So, it’s brilliant.”
Robinson has already come across Bolton in his short career, turning out in their victory at the Macron last year in the Checkatrade Trophy.
“It was one of my favourite matches,” he said. “We had a bit of an underdog team with lads going away on internationals but we still managed to pull off a win.”
An American citizen, Robinson may also be able to press his international claims with a solid season for the Whites.
Robinson qualifies for the States through his father Marlon, who played football for Dukes University, and has already turned out for their Under-18s against Germany.
“I ended up playing centre back instead of left back so I was a bit scared,” he admitted. “But it was okay in the end.
“The last time they asked was last season but it was outside the international window so I didn’t go.
“I’d love to play for them again. Until the first team comes in for you internationally any chance you get to go and play against higher level competition you should take. So, whether it’s England or America you’d be delighted to play for both.”
Phil Parkinson admits the League Cup is not highest on his list of priorities
“This game is about improving performance levels, giving players minutes, trying to progress into the next round,” he said. “Any manager would be lying if he said the league wasn’t priority but equally five or six years ago I was stood talking about Bradford City’s first game in the competition and saying the same things. A few months later we’d got all the way to the final and made history for the club.“
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