Ex-West Ham, Birmingham and Chelsea stars in Bolton trial

Wanderers have taken ex-West Ham and Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O’Neil on trial.

The 35-year-old played in yesterday’s 0-0 draw against Morecambe at Lostock as he looked to earn a deal at the Macron Stadium.

Ex-Wigan Athletic and Birmingham City midfielder David Cotterill – a former team-mate of O’Neil’s at Bristol City - featured in the second half of the behind-closed-doors friendly, which was shifted to the Bolton training ground because of issues on the Shrimps' Globe Arena pitch.

Phil Parkinson also took a look at Sam Walker, the former Chelsea goalkeeper who left Colchester United this summer after failing to agree a new contract.

Wanderers need senior goalkeeping back-up after releasing Mark Howard this summer and are not understood to be following initial interest in ex-West Brom man Boaz Myhill, who trained with the club for a couple of days last week.

The 6ft 6ins Walker, who was named Colchester's Players’ Player of the Year at their end of season awards night, missed just two games for the U’s in their last two years in League Two and helped them keep 13 clean sheets in the 2017-18 campaign.

O'Neil said last month he hoped to stay in the Championship after leaving Bristol City but would make an exception for former club, Pompey.

"I know I can still play in the Championship, no problem,” he told The News, in Portsmouth. "But it's just getting the opportunity.

"When people ask if I will drop down, of course I would do that because I just want to keep playing. But I don’t want to because I don't feel I need to.

"However, if Portsmouth said to me 'come and play for us', they would be the one team I would even consider turning down Championship clubs for."

Source

I reckon we're trying to sign Walker. The other two we're just looking at. Not real targets. Cotterill could do a job, O'Neil not too sure about myself. Do think we need to think about transfer values.

Would prefer us to go for younger players who after a couple of years we can sell on. Ones that have had bad seasons or out of contract.

Nigelbwfc wrote:I reckon we're trying to sign Walker. The other two we're just looking at. Not real targets. Cotterill could do a job, O'Neil not too sure about myself. Do think we need to think about transfer values.

Would prefer us to go for younger players who after a couple of years we can sell on. Ones that have had bad seasons or out of contract.

I very much doubt we will be offering more than two year contracts to anyone right now (maybe or 'six figure' striker excepted).