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Excitement has built steadily since the first pictures emerged of Eidur Gudjohnsen training again with Wanderers but will the reality of his return match all the hype?
The Icelander made his first public appearance in a Whites shirt in over 14 years at Leyland on Monday night, swelling a gate which normally consists entirely of die-hards to a reasonable number.
His signing is yet to be confirmed but the club must hope he can work similar magic at the Macron Stadium, where profits on shirt sales and lettering will undoubtedly get a pre-Christmas boost.
Gudjohnsen’s re-emergence at Bolton – the club he left in his early twenties at the turn of the millennium – has attracted international attention.
Icelandic journalists have speculated whether a semi-permanent international retirement may now be lifted if he gets regular football under Neil Lennon, while fans in Belgium, Spain and France have all kept tabs on events via The Bolton News website.
But while it is a romantic notion to suggest Gudjohnsen can slip straight into the Wanderers line-up and terrorise defences in the same way he did under Sam Allardyce back in his youth, the reality will most likely be quite different.
The 36-year-old showed some classy touches against a young Middlesbrough team at the County Ground but also showed his finishing skills are a little rusty, to say the least.
Lennon has pre-warned supporters he plans to use Gudjohnsen as “an impact player” suggesting he does not want to rely too heavily on the experienced front man until he his completely sure of what his body can handle.
Indian summers are becoming de rigueur in the Premier League, where Frank Lampard has taken Manchester City fans aback with his impact and Chelsea have used Didier Drogba sparingly but effectively since he returned to Stamford Bridge.
Life in the Championship is a different matter altogether, though, and there are not too many examples of outfield players competing past their mid-thirties this season.
In this hurly-burly division, Ian Harte (Bournemouth), Danny Gabbidon (Cardiff), Carlos Edwards and Ricardo Fuller (both Millwall), Emmerson Boyce (Wigan), Aaron Hughes (Brighton) and Paul Robinson (Birmingham City) are the only outfield players who have appeared this season aged 35 or over.
Experience could be the biggest asset Gudjohnsen brings with him.
Craig Davies admitted he has already been taking striking tips from the former Barcelona man, whose mere presence on the training ground has caused a buzz among young and old players alike.
What price can you put on playing tips gained from years associating with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Ibrahimovic and Messi?
Young strikers Conor Wilkinson and Zach Clough showed up well in the development squad against Middlesbrough and must surely benefit from listening and watching a player with such pedigree.
Gudjohnsen will not want to arrive at Wanderers to be seen purely as a mentor, however, and with hopes of reigniting his international career he will also want to be seen making a difference where it matters most, out on the pitch.
His last goal in English football came for Spurs against Fulham in March 2010. Among his team-mates that afternoon at White Hart Lane were Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.
After fruitless spells in the Premier League with Fulham and Stoke, he moved on to Greece and Belgium with mixed success.
So while Gudjohnsen arrives back at Wanderers as a familiar face, he steps back into a level of football with which he has not been accustomed for a long time.
Source
The Icelander made his first public appearance in a Whites shirt in over 14 years at Leyland on Monday night, swelling a gate which normally consists entirely of die-hards to a reasonable number.
His signing is yet to be confirmed but the club must hope he can work similar magic at the Macron Stadium, where profits on shirt sales and lettering will undoubtedly get a pre-Christmas boost.
Gudjohnsen’s re-emergence at Bolton – the club he left in his early twenties at the turn of the millennium – has attracted international attention.
Icelandic journalists have speculated whether a semi-permanent international retirement may now be lifted if he gets regular football under Neil Lennon, while fans in Belgium, Spain and France have all kept tabs on events via The Bolton News website.
But while it is a romantic notion to suggest Gudjohnsen can slip straight into the Wanderers line-up and terrorise defences in the same way he did under Sam Allardyce back in his youth, the reality will most likely be quite different.
The 36-year-old showed some classy touches against a young Middlesbrough team at the County Ground but also showed his finishing skills are a little rusty, to say the least.
Lennon has pre-warned supporters he plans to use Gudjohnsen as “an impact player” suggesting he does not want to rely too heavily on the experienced front man until he his completely sure of what his body can handle.
Indian summers are becoming de rigueur in the Premier League, where Frank Lampard has taken Manchester City fans aback with his impact and Chelsea have used Didier Drogba sparingly but effectively since he returned to Stamford Bridge.
Life in the Championship is a different matter altogether, though, and there are not too many examples of outfield players competing past their mid-thirties this season.
In this hurly-burly division, Ian Harte (Bournemouth), Danny Gabbidon (Cardiff), Carlos Edwards and Ricardo Fuller (both Millwall), Emmerson Boyce (Wigan), Aaron Hughes (Brighton) and Paul Robinson (Birmingham City) are the only outfield players who have appeared this season aged 35 or over.
Experience could be the biggest asset Gudjohnsen brings with him.
Craig Davies admitted he has already been taking striking tips from the former Barcelona man, whose mere presence on the training ground has caused a buzz among young and old players alike.
What price can you put on playing tips gained from years associating with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Ibrahimovic and Messi?
Young strikers Conor Wilkinson and Zach Clough showed up well in the development squad against Middlesbrough and must surely benefit from listening and watching a player with such pedigree.
Gudjohnsen will not want to arrive at Wanderers to be seen purely as a mentor, however, and with hopes of reigniting his international career he will also want to be seen making a difference where it matters most, out on the pitch.
His last goal in English football came for Spurs against Fulham in March 2010. Among his team-mates that afternoon at White Hart Lane were Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.
After fruitless spells in the Premier League with Fulham and Stoke, he moved on to Greece and Belgium with mixed success.
So while Gudjohnsen arrives back at Wanderers as a familiar face, he steps back into a level of football with which he has not been accustomed for a long time.
Source
