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Charlie Hayes-Green hopes he can follow in Conor Bradley’s footsteps after leaving Liverpool to join Wanderers’ B Team ranks.
The 18-year-old centre-back signed a one-year deal with the Whites following a 12-year association with the Merseyside outfit.
He was regularly involved in the Under-18 squad last season and also featured for the Under-21s in the EFL Trophy group stage.
“We were offered an extension and a contract, but I felt the pathway for me personally wasn’t there at Liverpool,” he told The Liverpool Echo.
“I didn’t feel like it was the right place for me to progress my career, and Bolton have provided me with the type of opportunity to go on and hopefully kick on there.
“It was a tough decision because emotionally I’ve been at Liverpool my whole life. It’s the team I grew up supporting so it was a tough decision.
"After speaking to my family and the people I trust around me, I felt like it was the right decision to move on and start a new chapter in my career.
"Fingers crossed, from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve felt, Bolton is going to be the right place for me to progress."
Bradley hit the ground running during a loan spell at Wanderers last season, becoming a key member of Ian Evatt’s squad.
Hayes-Green will link up with Matt Craddock’s B Team squad this season but says he spoke to the Northern Ireland international before making the move to Bolton.
“Conor did incredibly last season,” he added. “If you can do half as well as he has you’re doing alright.
“It’s not really my job to compare myself to other people. It’s my job to focus on me, try improve every day and leave the comparisons to the coaches.
"I spoke to him briefly when I went in to Bolton. I knew a lot about the club anyway from speaking to different people there.
“He’s obviously enjoyed his time there. It’s been massive for his development and hopefully that’s something I can take from the club as well."
The centre-back signed his first professional deal with the Whites and says it was a proud moment for his family.
He is determined to push on and make a positive impression at Wanderers over the coming season.
“I’m over the moon. I’ve been working pretty much my whole life to get the point where I am now to sign a professional contract," he explained.
"It was a really proud moment for me, my family and the people around me as well. Together, we’ve all worked so hard to get to this point and to have it signed off is an incredible feeling.
“I’m really excited to get started, the whole feel around the club feels fantastic. I went in a few weeks ago and met all of the lads and the standard of the training was very good as well.”
Hayes-Green is one of three new B Team signings at Bolton this summer along with Ben Andreucci and Trevon Bryan, who joined after leaving Leeds and Burnley respectively.
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