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Ian Evatt is looking forward to springing a big surprise on the Wanderers fans.
Through the medium of internet streaming and radio commentary, folk have had a brief introduction to most of the squad recruited by the head coach over the summer, with one notable exception.
Reiss Greenidge, the towering centre-back who arrived in Bolton via a spell in Norwegian football this summer, is now close to a first team return after spending the last few weeks out injured.
“He had a bit of a hamstring strain,” explained Evatt. “Reiss is probably the quickest player at the club and being 6ft 7ins he is a big physical specimen and I am excited for you to see him.
“We didn’t want to take any risks with it. The injury was very minor but it’s one of those where he’s so quick, if he got a bad one it could really hamper him.
“We had to take care of him but he is back training full time now and he’ll be available Saturday.”
At 24, the defender has played little football on these shores outside the comfortable bubble of Arsenal and West Brom’s development squad, and a couple of dozen games in non-league for Ebbsfleet United and Hemel Hempstead Town.
The vast majority of his senior football to date has been played in Scandinavia, which places him very much into the unknown quantity category compared to the more familiar names of Alex Baptiste, George Taft or Ricardo Santos.
Within the club, however, there is optimism that they have signed Guyana international Greenidge at a good time.
He had worked through the Arsenal youth system alongside the likes of Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi but left the club without playing a senior game to join West Brom in 2016.
Two years with the Baggies also failed to yield a senior appearance, even with loan spells at Port Vale and Ipswich Town, so Greenidge was forced to take a route less travelled, which started initially by dropping down to the seventh tier of English football.
The move to Norway also struggled to take off at first, with a trial at Viking Stavanger coming to nothing and a year playing under ex-Leeds United midfielder Erik Bakke ending in relegation. But after dropping down a division to play for Arendal last year he found the sort of consistency which alerted Bolton this summer.
There is little hiding the fact he is a wildcard in Wanderers’ pack or that there are elements of his game still deemed to be raw.
Evatt admits he is buying into potential – but feels Greenidge’s physical prowess and upbringing make him a gamble worth taking.
“Walking around, and possibly jogging, he’s a really ugly mover,” said the head coach.
“He moves long, it’s strange, his gait pattern isn’t great. But then when you see him sprint he’s a proper athlete. I don’t know if he’s had much track and field background but he can run 9.6/9.7 metres per second on a GPS, which believe me, is rapid.
“When you are that height, that strong and physical, you are going to be some player.
“Along with that he has had an Arsenal upbringing, also played at West Brom, so he can handle the ball as well.
“He’ll be a big player for us, I think, and he’s been a big miss for us, especially at the back end of pre-season.
“He’s playing catch-up a little bit but it is a long old season and we won’t take any risks with him.”
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Through the medium of internet streaming and radio commentary, folk have had a brief introduction to most of the squad recruited by the head coach over the summer, with one notable exception.
Reiss Greenidge, the towering centre-back who arrived in Bolton via a spell in Norwegian football this summer, is now close to a first team return after spending the last few weeks out injured.
“He had a bit of a hamstring strain,” explained Evatt. “Reiss is probably the quickest player at the club and being 6ft 7ins he is a big physical specimen and I am excited for you to see him.
“We didn’t want to take any risks with it. The injury was very minor but it’s one of those where he’s so quick, if he got a bad one it could really hamper him.
“We had to take care of him but he is back training full time now and he’ll be available Saturday.”
At 24, the defender has played little football on these shores outside the comfortable bubble of Arsenal and West Brom’s development squad, and a couple of dozen games in non-league for Ebbsfleet United and Hemel Hempstead Town.
The vast majority of his senior football to date has been played in Scandinavia, which places him very much into the unknown quantity category compared to the more familiar names of Alex Baptiste, George Taft or Ricardo Santos.
Within the club, however, there is optimism that they have signed Guyana international Greenidge at a good time.
He had worked through the Arsenal youth system alongside the likes of Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi but left the club without playing a senior game to join West Brom in 2016.
Two years with the Baggies also failed to yield a senior appearance, even with loan spells at Port Vale and Ipswich Town, so Greenidge was forced to take a route less travelled, which started initially by dropping down to the seventh tier of English football.
The move to Norway also struggled to take off at first, with a trial at Viking Stavanger coming to nothing and a year playing under ex-Leeds United midfielder Erik Bakke ending in relegation. But after dropping down a division to play for Arendal last year he found the sort of consistency which alerted Bolton this summer.
There is little hiding the fact he is a wildcard in Wanderers’ pack or that there are elements of his game still deemed to be raw.
Evatt admits he is buying into potential – but feels Greenidge’s physical prowess and upbringing make him a gamble worth taking.
“Walking around, and possibly jogging, he’s a really ugly mover,” said the head coach.
“He moves long, it’s strange, his gait pattern isn’t great. But then when you see him sprint he’s a proper athlete. I don’t know if he’s had much track and field background but he can run 9.6/9.7 metres per second on a GPS, which believe me, is rapid.
“When you are that height, that strong and physical, you are going to be some player.
“Along with that he has had an Arsenal upbringing, also played at West Brom, so he can handle the ball as well.
“He’ll be a big player for us, I think, and he’s been a big miss for us, especially at the back end of pre-season.
“He’s playing catch-up a little bit but it is a long old season and we won’t take any risks with him.”
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