Nicky Cadden in: The ideal Bolton Wanderers starting XI v Leyton Orient on August 10th | OneFootball

The eleven players that Bolton Wanderers supporters and Ian Evatt will ideally have starting on the opening day of the 2024/25 campaign.

Highlights

Bolton Wanderers were losing play-off semi-finalists in 2023 and then losing play-off finalists in 2024 and now the Trotters must contend with what appears to be an extremely competitive and much stronger League One in the 2024/25 campaign.

Even with several other teams spending big and pretty much over half of the division having ambitions of gaining promotion this season, Wanderers remain one of the leading contenders in the third tier.

They will still have quality across the park and their manager, Ian Evatt, is heading into his fifth season with a strong, albeit occasionally flawed, tactical identity.

With that in mind, this is how one of League One’s real title hopefuls will hope to line up on the opening day of the 2024/25 season against Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road next month…

GK: Nathan Baxter

The arrival of Luke Southwood suggested to many that Nathan Baxter may be departing Bolton this summer after an impressive first season at the club that was ruined by an injury that saw him ruled out from early February to early April and an injury that many believe cost Wanderers automatic promotion to the Championship.

However, with Baxter training with the squad at their pre-season training camp in Portugal, it does appear as though the former Chelsea man will still be with the club and that will be a major boost as he has established himself as one of, if not the best keeper in League One.

CB: Eoin Toal

Since signing from Derry City in the summer of 2022, Eoin Toal has been an upward trajectory at Bolton Wanderers and the 25-year-old Armagh-born defender is expected to continue that. For a large chunk of last season, he played out of position at left centre-back but that is expected to change this season, moving back to the other side of the back three.

That should be able to mean the Northern Ireland international will be able to embark upon some of his now trademark marauding runs up the field. He has also proven himself to be a goal threat in the final third, too, notching seven goals in 62 League One appearances for the Trotters.

CB: Ricardo Santos

Another senior member of the squad that many criticised and actually considered as a potential departure this summer until Evatt confirmed he would be staying this week, would be captain Ricardo Santos. He joined at the start of Evatt’s tenure in the summer of 2020 and has been a fundamental part of Bolton’s continued improvement.

The issue for the skipper, though, would be that injuries have almost certainly taken their toll and his bout with pneumonia in late 2022 also saw him return off the pace. However, if he can return to his best form then, in Evatt’s words, there are no better defenders outside of the top-flight.

CB: George Johnston

The aforementioned issue of Toal playing out of position was to accommodate vice-captain Gethin Jones on the right-hand side of the back three and the reason for that was because the excellent George Johnston suffered an ACL injury in a pre-season friendly against Bamber Bridge last summer, seeing him miss the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.

The former Feyenoord defender returned to fitness at the back end of last season but too late to play any part in Wanderers’ play-off campaign. However, he is now back to full fitness and should he return to his form then he will be an absolute rock on the left of Bolton’s back three.

Josh Dacres-Cogley is yet another player generally widely criticised by Bolton supporters, at least on social media. However, the defender got himself into the League One Team of the Season last year and the former Birmingham City man is expected to further mould himself into Evatt’s more progressive system during pre-season.

Had Dacres-Cogley enjoyed the season he just had whilst playing as an out-and-out right wing-back, then there is an obvious argument that he would be hailed a major success after joining on a free transfer from Tranmere Rovers last summer.

CM: Joel Randall

In recent days, there have been several reports suggesting that Bolton Wanderers have had a bid rejected by League One rivals Peterborough United for midfielder Joel Randall. Randall, who joined Posh for over £1 million from Exeter City a couple of years ago, would surely be seen as a bit of a coup for the Trotters.

Wanderers have lost the attacking exploits and goalscoring capabilities of Paris Maghoma from midfield after his loan from Brentford ended and Randall, as well as new signing Klaidi Lolos, would be looked upon to fill that void if a deal can be done.

CM: Josh Sheehan

Bolton Wanderers’ Player of the Year for the 2023/24 campaign, Josh Sheehan, recently captained his nation, Wales, during the June international break last month and the former Newport County man is instrumental to every facet of Bolton’s build-up play, beginning attacks from a deeper role and also having the intricacy to affect the game higher up.

Sheehan, when he first joined, was a forward-thinking midfielder in a 4-3-3 system for the Whites before moving backward and playing as a so-called ‘deep-lying playmaker’ last year, where he thrived.

CM: George Thomason

After Bolton Wanderers and Bristol City agreed a fee believed to be worth £1 million for George Thomason last summer, many supporters believed it was a good deal for the club but the former Blackpool man rejected a contract offer from the Robins to continue his development with the Trotters and under Ian Evatt in League One.

He eventually broke into the strongest Bolton XI in the early stages of last season, getting in ahead of the likes of Aaron Morley and Kyle Dempsey, and has continued to grow into what many believe is a future captain in Lancashire.

LWB: Nicky Cadden

Another new signing that Wanderers would love to have is at left wing-back. Nathanael Ogbeta and Zac Ashworth both left the club at the end of their loan deals and they will be on the lookout for a new addition to support Randell Williams, who can have excellent days but his injury record is too inconsistent to be trusted for a full 46-game season.

As of yet there have been no concrete links involving Bolton and Nicky Cadden but after the Scottish defender left Barnsley at the end of his contract this summer, it would make perfect sense for the Bolton system if they were one of the many clubs interested in his signature.

CF: Aaron Collins

In January, Bolton Wanderers made the ambitious move to sign the 2022/23 League One Player of the Year Aaron Collins from Bristol Rovers for a fee believed to be in the region of £750,000; their biggest outlay on a player since signing Jay Spearing from Liverpool in the summer transfer window of 2014.

Collins started slowly but has already racked up nine goals for the club, with another still disputed in a 5-0 defeat of Oxford United. The 27-year-old has technical quality in abundance and a full season with Wanderers will surely only see him thrive even more.

CF: Dion Charles

Dion Charles has been the subject of Championship interest for a sustained period at this stage and the Northern Ireland international is closing in on 50 goals for Bolton, currently sat on 49 and aiming to become the first player since Kevin Nolan to reach that milestone for the Lancastrians.

Charles, who joined from Accrington Stanley for a fee of £320,000 in January 2022, is a tireless worker up-front with finishing ability that leaves something to be desired but, as a fans’ favourite as well as his overall game, it will be imperative he stays and starts the season for the club.