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Marvin Sordell could be welcomed back into the Wanderers fold next season – but has been warned he will not get regular first-team football.
The former England Under-21 striker, a £3.2million capture from Watford in January 2012, has spent this season on loan at today’s opponents Charlton Athletic.
He has returned just four goals in 31 appearances for the South Londoners and will not be eligible to face his parent club at the Valley.
Dougie Freedman confirmed Charlton had not contacted Wanderers about making the loan deal a permanent one next season – leaving Sordell facing a return to the Reebok in the summer for the final 12 months of his contract alongside Keith Andrews, who has spent the season at Brighton.
And while the Whites boss would be content to see both players in his squad next term, he is making no promises about the amount of first-team football on offer.
“I don’t expect Marvin’s attitude will have changed; he’s a young player and he’ll want to be playing every week,” Freedman said on the eve of the Charlton game.
“I’ll have that chat with him in the summer when we come back and see what his thoughts are.
“I’ll explain where I’m trying to take the football club and that he’s got to buy into being a bit more patient. But I can’t blame him because I was exactly the same as Marvin or Keith (Andrews) – I wanted to play every week.
“We’ll be men about it and decide which way we’re going to go. It’s a two-way thing – they need to understand they won’t be playing every week and I’ll be rotating it, and if they do, then I’m comfortable because the two of them are decent players but they’re only decent if they’re happy.”
Both Sordell and Andrews were used regularly in Freedman’s first six months at the Reebok but shipped out on loan to make space in the budget for new arrivals at the start of the current campaign.
Freedman insists he has no personal issue with either player but took a swipe at other top earners in his 20 months at Bolton who have been content to sit on their contract without regular football.
“It’s credit to Marvin and Keith that they want to play every week. We’re being men about this,” he said.
“I’ve talked to Keith and he’s doing fantastic down at Brighton, he’s playing and I’m glad, because you don’t want an unhappy player who’s not playing. You have to give him credit.
“Many players sit still, don’t want to move club, don’t want to go anywhere on loan.”
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The former England Under-21 striker, a £3.2million capture from Watford in January 2012, has spent this season on loan at today’s opponents Charlton Athletic.
He has returned just four goals in 31 appearances for the South Londoners and will not be eligible to face his parent club at the Valley.
Dougie Freedman confirmed Charlton had not contacted Wanderers about making the loan deal a permanent one next season – leaving Sordell facing a return to the Reebok in the summer for the final 12 months of his contract alongside Keith Andrews, who has spent the season at Brighton.
And while the Whites boss would be content to see both players in his squad next term, he is making no promises about the amount of first-team football on offer.
“I don’t expect Marvin’s attitude will have changed; he’s a young player and he’ll want to be playing every week,” Freedman said on the eve of the Charlton game.
“I’ll have that chat with him in the summer when we come back and see what his thoughts are.
“I’ll explain where I’m trying to take the football club and that he’s got to buy into being a bit more patient. But I can’t blame him because I was exactly the same as Marvin or Keith (Andrews) – I wanted to play every week.
“We’ll be men about it and decide which way we’re going to go. It’s a two-way thing – they need to understand they won’t be playing every week and I’ll be rotating it, and if they do, then I’m comfortable because the two of them are decent players but they’re only decent if they’re happy.”
Both Sordell and Andrews were used regularly in Freedman’s first six months at the Reebok but shipped out on loan to make space in the budget for new arrivals at the start of the current campaign.
Freedman insists he has no personal issue with either player but took a swipe at other top earners in his 20 months at Bolton who have been content to sit on their contract without regular football.
“It’s credit to Marvin and Keith that they want to play every week. We’re being men about this,” he said.
“I’ve talked to Keith and he’s doing fantastic down at Brighton, he’s playing and I’m glad, because you don’t want an unhappy player who’s not playing. You have to give him credit.
“Many players sit still, don’t want to move club, don’t want to go anywhere on loan.”
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