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So often the scourge of Bolton Wanderers in the past, Cameron Jerome might just owe the club a goal or two.
There are not many opponents against which the 36-year-old striker has failed to find the net in a 19-year professional career spent almost exclusively in the top two divisions.
Bolton have been on the receiving end of nine ‘goal involvements’ in his time at Norwich City, Birmingham City and Stoke City – a statistic he is now keen to rebalance.
“Hopefully I can reverse that back around now,” he laughed. “I am sure, given the opportunities I can contribute goals, this season and next.
“I have come up against Bolton plenty of times, seen them in the good times and the bad. But what I see now is a club that is on the upward trend.
“It’s such an open division. The confidence factor the manager has installed into the players, the ability to go and express yourself, it’s a beautiful thing to see.
“Last Saturday I was watching from the bench at Charlton and thinking ‘wow, there are some really good footballers here. It’s impressive.”
Jerome has been regularly linked to Bolton down the years, becoming somewhat of a deadline day meme along with past targets like Miguel Veloso and Leroy Lita.
And he revealed that back in 2011 he was in talks with Owen Coyle about signing for Bolton in the Premier League, only for an injury to intervene.
“I have been close a couple of times,” he said. “When I left Birmingham and went to Stoke I nearly signed.
“I was injured at the time, I think they signed David Ngog instead. They thought I was going to be out for a long period of time but I got back quicker than expected.
“There have been a couple of rumours down the years but it’s great to be here now at a club with this sort of stature. The trajectory the place is on, it just has a really good feel to it.
“A few managers and players I have spoken to have said this is the perfect one – the location but also a club that is ready to take off again, and that’s something that everyone wants to be a part of, success in football.”
Jerome still has plenty to give as a player – and despite appearing almost exclusively as a substitute at Luton Town in the Championship this season, featured in almost every league squad.
But with the pressure of a promotion race ahead, his value off the field to the younger members of the squad could be equally important.
“I take what comes my way at this age,” he said. “I realise the impact you can have, on and off the pitch, and that comes with experience and maturity.
“Whether a manager decides a game is for me, or for later on, it’s a tactical decision and you just have to be ready as a player to adapt. The older you get the more relaxed you are about the situation and while I’m still hungry to play every minute of every game, you know you can have a big impact as a sub as well.
“Once you have trodden the path, you know how to navigate it.
“There will be big games coming up but it is all about managing the pressure. If you go a goal down, how do you stop it being two or three, if you go a goal up, how do you make sure you see out three points, take the sting out of the game?
“You get that with experience – but some are the opposite, some players go in with no fear. But predominantly those big games are won by the teams who know how to play them.”
Jerome looks forward to making a home debut against Cheltenham, with Bolton the 11th club of his career. And having signed an 18-month deal at the UniBol, he is confident he still has plenty to give.
“Sometimes you can go through stages where you can get a bit lost,” he said. “I have had a few clubs in the twilight of my career and maybe a change of scenery and a fresh outlook gives you extra motivation that you might not have had if you’re becoming part of the furniture.
“There is no secret to it. I love playing football, I love talking about football and I am still feeling fantastic, so it’ll probably be mentally when I decide to stop, touch wood.
“I talk to people who have finished and they say ‘make sure you play as long as possible’ and I think I can get to the magical 40. It might sound optimistic but it’s not that far away for me.”
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