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Keith Hill knows there will be eyes on his young playmaker Ronan Darcy in the January transfer window.
The 19-year-old midfielder has turned heads since coming into the team at the start of December, attracting scouts from a number of Championship and Premier League clubs.
Darcy – who has been in the Bolton set-up since the age of eight – made his debut on the final day of last season but, says Hill, has warranted his place in side by listening to the advice given to him.
“They will be watching,” he said. “That’s what happens – when you play kids, other teams watch. It’s simple.
“I want to develop players as young men, make sure they have respect, application, attitude. I want them to go out of their way to help.
“That’s the type of people I want working for Bolton Wanderers and Ronan fits into that.
“I haven’t got anyone in the squad who can do that job as intelligently as Ronan can. And when we came to the club he was a million miles off playing for us but now, with hard work and his trust in myself and David, he knows what we need him to do as a function, as well as being a provider and creator. He’s doing well.”
Despite impressing with the maturity of his performances, Darcy has had some bad luck in front of goal and is yet to get off the mark in league football for Wanderers.
Hill is happy to stay patient.
“You can’t judge a young player off one game,” he said. “As a number 10 you are normally judged on whether you score or create. If you don’t do that over two or three games I don’t think you can make that judgement.
“As long as someone is showing the right attitude, the right application, knowing where he is on the pitch, I think you have to look over 15-20 games.
“Without having Ali Crawford, who was a big, big player for us – and I think at times we forget that – he is 28 years old. We are asking Ronan to do a similar job.”
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The 19-year-old midfielder has turned heads since coming into the team at the start of December, attracting scouts from a number of Championship and Premier League clubs.
Darcy – who has been in the Bolton set-up since the age of eight – made his debut on the final day of last season but, says Hill, has warranted his place in side by listening to the advice given to him.
“They will be watching,” he said. “That’s what happens – when you play kids, other teams watch. It’s simple.
“I want to develop players as young men, make sure they have respect, application, attitude. I want them to go out of their way to help.
“That’s the type of people I want working for Bolton Wanderers and Ronan fits into that.
“I haven’t got anyone in the squad who can do that job as intelligently as Ronan can. And when we came to the club he was a million miles off playing for us but now, with hard work and his trust in myself and David, he knows what we need him to do as a function, as well as being a provider and creator. He’s doing well.”
Despite impressing with the maturity of his performances, Darcy has had some bad luck in front of goal and is yet to get off the mark in league football for Wanderers.
Hill is happy to stay patient.
“You can’t judge a young player off one game,” he said. “As a number 10 you are normally judged on whether you score or create. If you don’t do that over two or three games I don’t think you can make that judgement.
“As long as someone is showing the right attitude, the right application, knowing where he is on the pitch, I think you have to look over 15-20 games.
“Without having Ali Crawford, who was a big, big player for us – and I think at times we forget that – he is 28 years old. We are asking Ronan to do a similar job.”
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