GIVEN the task to talk about my top three picks for player of the year, you might think it is a tad premature. But here goes.
There are six huge games left to play – maybe more – but I honestly don’t think a lot will change from now to the end of the season in terms of my choices.
So let us start from third and work our down the list…
Third Place – Dion Charles.
I was going back and forth between either Charles or Ricardo Santos here, which was slightly difficult due to the amount of games both have missed. Charles has played in 29 games so far this season, but has been absent through injury since the 2-1 win over Wycombe on 13th February.
With 13 goals, he is still tied for ninth place in the scoring standings, though. Alfie May tops the chart with 21 strikes, followed by Jamie Reid (17) and Devante Cole. The fact that he has missed nine games (Stevenage would probably have missed ten by the time this article was published) speaks volumes about the effect he has had on Bolton’s season.
Although he was not playing at his best before his injury, Charles’s absence has affected Bolton and the decline in performance is not coincidental. Charles was a goal scorer, a strong ball defender, and a general workaholic.
Under Ian Evatt, Thomason has consistently improved every year, and he ranks highly among those who have demonstrated this. He has retained his position and then some, so he is not at all troubled by the abundance of choices in midfield.
Is Aaron Morley under a new contract? On the sidelines, Kyle Dempsey? Thomason hasn’t been impacted in the slightest because he has more than earned the opportunity to define his position on the team.
Although I believe the majority of us doubted our decision to reject Bristol City’s reported proposal of about £1 million, it proved to be the right one. One of our most marketable assets is Thomason, and his left foot alone may be worth more than that reported figure.
First Place – Josh Sheehan.
I have been banging the drum all year and it is not really a debate. Sheehan has drawn praise from not only our own fanbase but also other teams. Someone who is easily capable of making the step up to the Championship, his talent is evident.
He is one of those footballers who makes the game look effortless. He glides across the pitch and the role he plays in that deep lying holding position in midfield is something that no one else in the squad can replicate.
He can drop a shoulder and turn a man with ease, he can pass the ball both short and long. He can shoot, take a set piece and is the engine in that midfield.
I could go on and on but I have a world count to adhere to. It says a lot about Sheehan that he could easily have left in the summer to pursue guaranteed minutes, but he re-upped his contract and is now one of Bolton’s most important players.
My top three players of the year… So far!
by Tony Thompson.
After reading the article brief, I immediately thought of George Thomason as the player of the year. In fact, I didn’t even have to think twice to say it.
He certainly does have some rough edges. Yes, occasionally he clatters into challenges like a hangover Sunday league football player. Indeed, there is a humorous aspect to his running style that makes me think of former Millwall and Portsmouth striker Steve Claridge.
But he is the man if you want someone who actually cares about what he is doing, who gives it his all regardless of how well the team is performing, and who has advanced significantly over the past 12 months.
In addition, even though he doesn’t have an armband on, he speaks like a captain, and I can see him eventually taking the squad to new heights.
It was harder for me to choose second. Josh Sheehan won my vote because I believe he controls every game where he is given the space to do so.
There are moments when I believe he could be shut down quickly from a game. I believe that now days, kids refer to it as pushing. Furthermore, he remains a quite small man.
I love watching him play, though, and he has been in genuinely good form this season for Bolton, so he gets my runners-up spot.
I’ve selected Eoin Toal for third place. I could have chosen Nathan Baxter for his consistency or Dion Charles for his goals, but there’s something about the centre back that makes me think he’d be a perfect fit at Bolton. In fact, I could have seen him playing for teams in the past.
He is a goal scorer, a forward-thinking player who doesn’t mind playing a pass, and a reliable provider when called upon. He’s excellent in my opinion, and he gave Sheehan a serious run for second place.
