Latest Bolton Wanderers recruit can be Ian Evatt’s new Kieran Lee: View | OneFootball

The arrival of Scott Arfield at Bolton Wanderers will be one that is expected to help Ian Evatt both on and off the pitch.

Highlights

Last week, Bolton Wanderers announced the signing of former Burnley and Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield on a free transfer, following his departure from Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC.

The 35-year-old has joined the Trotters to offer real experience and versatility to the Wanderers’ midfield as they try to recover and rebuild from losing last season’s League One play-off final to Oxford United by two goals to nil at Wembley Stadium.

The former Canada international, who picked up 19 caps between 2016 and 2019 for the Canucks, could well be Ian Evatt’s latest version of Kieran Lee – not necessarily stylistically, but in terms of the pedigree he brings, relative to the division that Wanderers find themselves in.

The importance of the Kieran Lee deal to Bolton

In January 2021, Bolton Wanderers found themselves sitting 18th in League Two in what did appear to be a six-way battle against finishing in the bottom two and being relegated down to non-league football for the first time in their history.

An impressive transfer window allowed Ian Evatt’s mean to steady themselves and eventually, incredibly, propel themselves to a third place finish and automatic promotion back to League One.

One of the signings made was Kieran Lee. Lee, a fan favourite at Sheffield Wednesday before his release in the summer of 2020, had been without a club for several months but his arrival at Wanderers helped to almost immediately raise the level and standards of those around him.

The pedigree of a Manchester United academy graduate and someone often vital to Wednesday finishing in the top six in the Championship not too long before was vital for Bolton’s inexperienced side getting to grips with the sophistication and complexity of Evatt’s methods in the fourth-tier.

Scott Arfield, who played in a European final just two years ago as Rangers lost the UEFA Europa League showdown to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties in Seville, will hope to have a similar impact.

Arfield brings a wealth of genuinely impressive experience, playing 365 top-flight matches across England, Scotland and the United States during his career and he will have played in regimented, disciplined dressing rooms that demand a lot of each other.

One thing Wanderers have lacked, especially in the absence of Lee last season, was a player to calm heads in moments when that was required and there will be hope that his signing can bring about another promotion for Evatt.

Arfield offering something that Bolton do not have

The release of Kieran Lee last summer left Wanderers with a hole that was never quite filled and now Scott Arfield, in terms of his midfield versatility and experience can do so.

Around the side, though, there was only really striker Cameron Jerome and, at a push, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, who could also offer those calming influences and expertise – but both of those forwards have also left the club.

Wanderers have a squad of players that have, for the large part, plied their trade in the lower leagues of English football, whereas Arfield has a lot of top-flight and European pedigree.

Not only will his experience off the pitch help the Whites, but the array of positions he can play in also allow Ian Evatt to adjust tactically, dependent on what he wants his new style to be or the game situation.

Evatt has discussed the need to be more tactically flexible moving forward in the aftermath of their play-off final loss and Arfield has the ability to play in the number ten or in a central three in midfield.

If Wanderers switch to a 4-2-3-1, he could even slot into the two. If wing-backs are played, he could even, at a push, slide in at right wing-back or on one of the wings in a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3.

The fourth signing of the summer, after Chris Forino, Luke Southwood and Klaidi Lolos, Arfield’s arrival offers Bolton a lot of expertise that they did not have whilst allowing for a lot more options tactically, too.

It looks a shrewd deal by Bolton in many respects, not least giving Evatt that Lee succession plan.