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In the grander footballing world, Aaron Wilbraham’s move to Wanderers last week hardly measured on the Richter Scale.
On the very same day he landed at the Macron, a certain Neymar Jnr had transferred from Barcelona to Paris St Germain for a world record £198million.
Coincidentally, Bolton fans were left discussing Wilbraham’s fee too but only because the club had taken the unusual step of describing it as ‘undisclosed’.
It was, of course, a free transfer, for that is the pool an embargo-saddled Wanderers have been fishing for some time.
While his switch from Bristol City may not have commanded many column inches, it hit hard in the locality of Ashton Gate.
“Some of the messages I was getting from the Bristol City lads were really nice, how I’d helped them on,” he told The Bolton News. “They made me laugh and sent a video of them all holding a minute’s silence because I’d gone. It was brilliant.
“I had a good relationship with the fans there too. When I went in at 33 or 34 they probably thought I was an older pro just picking up a pay packet.
“I think I did well for them and I think they appreciated it. I want to do the same for Bolton.
“People say ‘oh you’re 37’ but when I’m not playing I’ll be doing my utmost to help the club off the field as well.”
Wilbraham, known universally in football as “Albi,” has been a professional for 20 years, cutting his teeth at Stockport County. He still recalls, in fact, a goal he scored against Wanderers on his 21st birthday in a 4-3 thriller at Edgeley Park some 17 years ago.
Life at his 10th professional club began at Crewe on Wednesday night where the striker battled through his first 60 minutes since the end of last season at Bristol City.
Phil Parkinson admitted after the game his new signing still had some cobwebs to shift after recovering from a post-season injury – but Wilbraham is in a hurry to prove to Bolton fans he is not here to wind down.
Though he was offered a coaching role by previous boss Lee Johnson, he has made it abundantly clear since arriving in the Whites camp he wants to help them stay in the Championship in a playing capacity.
“The boys at Bristol used to call me Peter Pan. I don’t miss training and I’m feeling fine,” he said.
“I know people always question my age and I do have to manage my body a bit better nowadays but I want to play on as long as I can.
“It was more the manager’s idea to include me as a coach at Bristol and I think it was his way of letting me know I wasn’t going to play as much football.
“I took the strikers a couple of times last season for finishing drills but I was never going to be taking sessions there.
“It was his way of keeping me involved. I am coming to the end of my career and I did my UEFA B licence in the summer so I am getting ready for it – but at the moment I just want to focus on playing. I can help the lads without being a coach.”
Wilbraham helped stabilise Bristol City in the Championship over the past few seasons – once at Wanderers’ expense.
In 2015/16 he scored in Jimmy Phillips and Peter Reid’s first game in charge, a forgettable 6-0 defeat which summed up a tragic campaign.
This time around, confidence is high the same problems can be avoided.
“There is more quality in the Championship but I’ve been in at Bolton for a couple of days now and I don’t think that will be a problem,” Wilbraham said. “They have enough to cope. You won’t get as many chances as a striker as you might in League One and teams are a little stronger defensively. It is harder to break them down.
“Teams who have been splashing the cash around will have a lot of pressure on them this season. People know that hasn’t been the case at Bolton but if we’re the underdogs then it can galvanise the squad.”
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On the very same day he landed at the Macron, a certain Neymar Jnr had transferred from Barcelona to Paris St Germain for a world record £198million.
Coincidentally, Bolton fans were left discussing Wilbraham’s fee too but only because the club had taken the unusual step of describing it as ‘undisclosed’.
It was, of course, a free transfer, for that is the pool an embargo-saddled Wanderers have been fishing for some time.
While his switch from Bristol City may not have commanded many column inches, it hit hard in the locality of Ashton Gate.
“Some of the messages I was getting from the Bristol City lads were really nice, how I’d helped them on,” he told The Bolton News. “They made me laugh and sent a video of them all holding a minute’s silence because I’d gone. It was brilliant.
“I had a good relationship with the fans there too. When I went in at 33 or 34 they probably thought I was an older pro just picking up a pay packet.
“I think I did well for them and I think they appreciated it. I want to do the same for Bolton.
“People say ‘oh you’re 37’ but when I’m not playing I’ll be doing my utmost to help the club off the field as well.”
Wilbraham, known universally in football as “Albi,” has been a professional for 20 years, cutting his teeth at Stockport County. He still recalls, in fact, a goal he scored against Wanderers on his 21st birthday in a 4-3 thriller at Edgeley Park some 17 years ago.
Life at his 10th professional club began at Crewe on Wednesday night where the striker battled through his first 60 minutes since the end of last season at Bristol City.
Phil Parkinson admitted after the game his new signing still had some cobwebs to shift after recovering from a post-season injury – but Wilbraham is in a hurry to prove to Bolton fans he is not here to wind down.
Though he was offered a coaching role by previous boss Lee Johnson, he has made it abundantly clear since arriving in the Whites camp he wants to help them stay in the Championship in a playing capacity.
“The boys at Bristol used to call me Peter Pan. I don’t miss training and I’m feeling fine,” he said.
“I know people always question my age and I do have to manage my body a bit better nowadays but I want to play on as long as I can.
“It was more the manager’s idea to include me as a coach at Bristol and I think it was his way of letting me know I wasn’t going to play as much football.
“I took the strikers a couple of times last season for finishing drills but I was never going to be taking sessions there.
“It was his way of keeping me involved. I am coming to the end of my career and I did my UEFA B licence in the summer so I am getting ready for it – but at the moment I just want to focus on playing. I can help the lads without being a coach.”
Wilbraham helped stabilise Bristol City in the Championship over the past few seasons – once at Wanderers’ expense.
In 2015/16 he scored in Jimmy Phillips and Peter Reid’s first game in charge, a forgettable 6-0 defeat which summed up a tragic campaign.
This time around, confidence is high the same problems can be avoided.
“There is more quality in the Championship but I’ve been in at Bolton for a couple of days now and I don’t think that will be a problem,” Wilbraham said. “They have enough to cope. You won’t get as many chances as a striker as you might in League One and teams are a little stronger defensively. It is harder to break them down.
“Teams who have been splashing the cash around will have a lot of pressure on them this season. People know that hasn’t been the case at Bolton but if we’re the underdogs then it can galvanise the squad.”
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