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Wanderers must continue to keep the cash register rolling by producing and selling on young players like Regan Riley, says manager Ian Evatt.
Norwich City signed the young midfielder for a reported upfront fee of £250,000 this week, with future bonuses laced into his contract in Bolton’s favour.
Riley had made just one senior appearance in the league but his performances for the Under-18s had caught the eye of several scouts in the Championship and Premier League.
Evatt would have liked to see more of Riley in a Bolton shirt but weighed up the value of the offer against a player who still had plenty of developing to do.
“It’s a great opportunity for him,” he told The Bolton News. “Regan is a very talented young player with a fantastic attitude but sometimes we have to make a call. Norwich, in my opinion, offered us a very good deal for a player who has potential but it by no means the finished article.
“To make this club sustainable – and that’s what we all want, we don’t want to be in the mess we have been in before – then we have to look at deals like that.
“In my opinion it was too good to turn down.”
Riley was not on professional terms at Bolton and also had an offer from Brighton but felt that the Canaries’ recent track record blooding young players made them a perfect fit.
“I’ve heard lots of good things about the club and it looks like a club that I can develop at,” he said. “The club have a reputation for developing young players and that really excites me.
“I’ve seen the likes of Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons and Todd Cantwell come through the system, so it gives you the confidence and platform to hopefully show what I’m about.
“I consider myself a box-to-box midfielder who’ll work hard for the team.
"I’m also looking forward to developing off the field moving away from Bolton to Norwich. I’m excited and can’t wait to get going.”
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Norwich City signed the young midfielder for a reported upfront fee of £250,000 this week, with future bonuses laced into his contract in Bolton’s favour.
Riley had made just one senior appearance in the league but his performances for the Under-18s had caught the eye of several scouts in the Championship and Premier League.
Evatt would have liked to see more of Riley in a Bolton shirt but weighed up the value of the offer against a player who still had plenty of developing to do.
“It’s a great opportunity for him,” he told The Bolton News. “Regan is a very talented young player with a fantastic attitude but sometimes we have to make a call. Norwich, in my opinion, offered us a very good deal for a player who has potential but it by no means the finished article.
“To make this club sustainable – and that’s what we all want, we don’t want to be in the mess we have been in before – then we have to look at deals like that.
“In my opinion it was too good to turn down.”
Riley was not on professional terms at Bolton and also had an offer from Brighton but felt that the Canaries’ recent track record blooding young players made them a perfect fit.
“I’ve heard lots of good things about the club and it looks like a club that I can develop at,” he said. “The club have a reputation for developing young players and that really excites me.
“I’ve seen the likes of Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons and Todd Cantwell come through the system, so it gives you the confidence and platform to hopefully show what I’m about.
“I consider myself a box-to-box midfielder who’ll work hard for the team.
"I’m also looking forward to developing off the field moving away from Bolton to Norwich. I’m excited and can’t wait to get going.”
Source