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Wanderers boss Ian Evatt says summer signing Eoin Toal “ticks a lot of boxes”.
The 23-year-old, who joined from Derry City on a three-year deal, is yet to feature for the Whites due to a minor ankle issue.
Evatt says it will take time for Toal to adjust to life at Wanderers but is confident the centre-back will be a long-term success.
“He is a young man who has played a lot of men’s football and he has played in Europe, so that has been a great learning experience for him,” said the Bolton chief.
“He has been a captain at a young age so he has got a really good character. He is a strong leader, strong mentality and also he has attributes we look for in defenders.
“He can defend in large spaces, one-v-one. He is mobile, athletic, strong, physical. But also can handle the ball and progressively pass off both feet. He ticks a lot of boxes.
“It is going to take some time for him to get used to how we play and what we do, but we think long-term he is going to be a good player for us.”
Former Bolton striker Eoin Doyle has served as the club’s official scout on the Emerald Isle since heading to St Patrick’s Athletic back in January.
The Whites also brought in young defender Eric Yoro from University College Dublin this summer to link up with the B Team.
Evatt says Toal was the standout candidate to bolster his defensive ranks after a thorough recruitment process.
He added: “Doylar knows a little bit about him of course, but we have watched many games and many centre-backs.
“All the ones we’ve watched – I won’t bore you with how many we have watched but it has been a lot – he was the one who came about the best.”
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