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Gethin Jones can’t wait to see how Conor Bradley fares in League One with Wanderers.
Having taken a mentor’s role with the young defender since his arrival on loan from Liverpool, Jones has been impressed with what he has seen in pre-season so far.
Bradley looks set to start as Ian Evatt’s first-choice right wing-back after settling into the position over the past few friendly games.
And vice-captain, Jones, is backing the teenage Northern Ireland international to show his pedigree when the real business begins.
“I do talk to him quite a bit and I’m excited to see how he gets on this season,” he said.
“Me and Con have started to get a good relationship and I have played every game with him so far.
“Obviously he has been around the first team at Liverpool and so it’s perfect for him to come here, knowing the way we want to play.
“Even though he has played games for Liverpool and played international football he is still young, so he is still learning.
“The gaffer keeps telling me to put my experience to him, defensively. We play a 3-5-2, so there might be a little tweak to the way he will have played at Liverpool, especially defensively, but I think he is doing really well – you saw at Longridge how he can win the ball high up and get a goal for Dion (Charles)." The pre-season preparation continues today with Wanderers back playing in front of fans again at Carlisle United.
The previous three games against Stockport, Wigan Athletic and Watford have been behind closed doors but a large travelling contingent of Bolton supporters are expected to head north, where Jones will face one of his former clubs.
The Welshman spent a solitary season at Brunton Park, which was eventually truncated by the Covid pandemic.
“It was an interesting time,” he said. “I had just left Fleetwood and I wanted somewhere I could enjoy my football again.
“Everything happened with Covid and my time there got cut short because I learned that the gaffer wanted me here at Bolton, and that was mind made up.
“You have the likes of Kyle Dempsey and Jack Iredale who have played there as well – and the last time we were there it was 3-0 at half time. Now that was a strange game, and the wind played a big part, as I remember. “But it’ll be great to go back up there, especially in front of the fans, and then we have the home game just before Ipswich, against Huddersfield, which will be a good test again. “We can’t wait for that one because we can all remember that first game against Blackburn when the fans were allowed back into the stadium and it is always a good atmosphere.”
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