'It kind of took off and blew up!' - Inwood's hope for Bolton chance next season
SAM Inwood hopes his eventful end to the season can push his claim for first team football under Steven Schumacher.
The highly rated 19-year-old remedied a defensive injury crisis to start the final two games against Peterborough United and Stevenage having played less than half an hour of senior football in the Vertu Trophy to that point.
This was already a year when Inwood was selected for Northern Ireland's Under-21s – a departure from his first international steps with the Republic - and having made the breakthrough he is now looking forward to what comes next.
'It kind of took off and blew up in the last few months, really,' he said. 'For the first few months of the season I was in the B team and then maybe towards the end I was trying to get out on loan. For one reason or another that didn't come off.
'Then you are thinking: 'Is this a season where nothing's happened?' And then I got the call-up to the first team and, all of a sudden, you look back and it's been a pretty decent season for me.
'Seeing that I have been given that chance gives me hope for next year.
'I've just got to jobs" target="_blank">work hard in the off-season, work hard and improve pre-season and hope the gaffer selects me for first team again.'
Inwood has been with Wanderers since the age of 15, having been left in limbo after Bury's sad demise in 2019.
Though he was still representing Salford Schools, the defender was not sure if another club would step forward in the middle of the pandemic, a period of great uncertainty in the game.
'I didn't know what to do afterwards, I was a bit stuck to be honest,' he said.
READ MORE
Wanderers' Academy Legacy Programme explained as first caps handed out
Schumacher confident there won't be 'black clouds' following Bolton next season
Sharon Brittan: Promotion disappointment has strengthened resolve at Wanderers
'I'd heard quite a lot of lads had clubs ringing up asking them to come and trial, but I didn't really have anything.'
Inwood trained briefly with Bolton's development group but it was only a few weeks later that Mark Litherland – who had been with him at Bury – offered up a second shot of a scholarship with the Whites.
He worked with Julian Darby in the youth team before another cluster of opportunities presented themselves and he was offered a professional deal with the club.
'It was quite weird,' he added. 'The January before my pro (contract) I went down for a two or three day Republic of Ireland camp in Loughborough and when I came back from that I trained with the first team for the first time.
'I then travelled with the first team, got the pro, went to the B team, and then trained with the first team quite regularly.
'I've been in and out of training since and travelling a few times, so you've just got to take everything individually and work it out.
'You can't think: 'I've been with them so I should be on the bench, or I have been on the bench, so I should be starting.' You can't think that way.
'You have just got to take that each week as it comes. If they need you, if they want you, it's fine. But if they don't and you're involved with the B team you can't get too down about it, you have just got to say: 'Right I've got to perform well for the B team now.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Bolton Wanderers eyeing up homegrown Hull City defender Matty Jacobs
HULL City defender Matty Jacob is understood to be in Wanderers' sights as transfer activity starts to pick up at the Toughsheet Stadium. The left-back, who turns 24 today, came through Hull's youth ranks and has been on the fringes of the squad in the Championship for the last two seasons. Advertisement Jacob has two years left to run on his contract with the Tigers but it remains to be seen whether Bolton pursue a permanent or loan arrangement. Steven Schumacher has relatively few options on the left side of his defence and particularly in the full-back department, where the returning Max Conway is the only real specialist in the squad. Having knocked on the first team door at Hull, Wanderers could now offer Jacob the regular football he needs to progress a career which got off to a stellar start with a goal on his first start for Hull in the FA Cup against Birmingham City. Previously, he had also spent a season on loan in the National League North with Gateshead in 2021/22, featuring 34 times and helping the north-east club secure promotion as champions. Barnsley-born Jacob played eight games last season and scored his first league goal against Sheffield United in January. He was also a substitute on 18 occasions.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Bury's Simon Yates finishes safely in peloton to seal victory at Giro d'Italia
Bury cyclist Simon Yates sealed victory in the Giro d'Italia following the final stage from the Vatican City to Rome. Yates took a lead of almost four minutes into stage 21 and finished safely in the peloton as Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Olav Kooij came out on top in a sprint finish. Yates effectively sealed victory on Saturday's penultimate stage when he exorcised his personal demons on the Colle delle Finestre with a stunning solo attack to claim the race leader's pink jersey. READ MORE: BBC Race Across the World star, 24, dies after Stockport car crash READ MORE: School mates partied in Thailand on dream lads holiday - then police met them at Manchester Airport On the mountain where his dreams of victory were shattered by Chris Froome's famous solo breakaway in 2018, Yates turned the tables with a masterclass of his own as his rivals were left to question their own tactics. The 32-year-old rode away from leader Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz on the brutal gradients and the gravel to turn an 81-second deficit and third place into a three minute, 56-second lead over Del Toro. 'I still think it's sinking in,' Yates told TNT Sports after Sunday's finale. 'What a huge moment in my career, the defining moment. 'I've had some good success but I don't think anything comes close. 'I'm just incredibly proud of the whole team in the three weeks and, of course, I've just finished it off so an amazing three weeks. 'It's been a quick turnaround (from Saturday), we got the plane here to Rome and we kept the focus. 'A good chance for Olav today and he pulled it off. I'll celebrate for sure and see what's to come.' With the final stage a largely ceremonial affair, which started with the leading riders meeting Pope Leo XIV, only a serious crash would have denied Yates a second Grand Tour victory following his success in the 2018 Vuelta a Espana. He is the third British rider to win the Giro after Froome in 2018 and Tao Geohegan Hart in 2020.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Yahoo
How Bolton Wanderers have laid 'solid' foundations to build from
Wanderers' Chief Financial Officer Niaz Shazad believes the club has laid solid foundations to build from. Shazad joined from the City Football Group last September and has also served as interim co-Chief Executive Officer following Neil Hart's departure. 'The club's resurgence since the FVWL (Football Ventures) acquisition in 2019 culminated in record-breaking turnover in 2023/24 which speaks volumes about the jobs" target="_blank">work that's gone into rebuilding Bolton post-administration,' he told Football Business Journal. 'From a financial and operational standpoint, the foundations are sound and with the support and backing of the board, will only get stronger.' Shazad added: 'Scalability now depends on our ability to evolve this model. We are not just trying to grow for growth's sake – we're aiming for smart, sustainable growth. 'That means investing further in data infrastructure, improving talent pathways from Academy to first team, and forming strategic partnerships both locally and internationally.' The campaign didn't go to plan for the first team but there was success for the Women's team and Academy, who clinched several trophies collectively. The Women's team achieved the league and cup double in their first season under club operations, without losing a single game in the league. Julian Darby's Under-18s won the Youth Alliance League northern section before thrashing Luton in the national final at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. The youngsters also won the LFA Professional Youth Cup. Andy Taylor's B Team completed a hat trick of successes at the County Ground in Leyland, beating Burnley to lift the LFA Senior Cup. 'What we've seen this past season is not just success in isolation – it's reward for years of groundwork across our footballing departments, be it Julian Darby, Dave Gardiner, Myles Smith or the many wonderful members in their respective teams,' Shazad stated. 'The performance of our Women's team, B Team and Academy sides is a powerful signal that the club is building the right way - from the ground up, with cohesion, standards and identity running through every level. 'From a strategic standpoint, these achievements confirm our belief in a "one club" philosophy. We don't view these teams as peripheral or developmental – they're integral pillars of Bolton Wanderers. 'Their success enhances our brand, our talent pipeline and our commercial appeal. Winning matters, but what matters even more is how we're winning - with local talent, intelligent coaching and a culture of excellence that mirrors the first team's direction.' Several youngsters also received opportunities in the first team during the final weeks of the campaign including David Abimbola and Sam Inwood. Shazad echoed new Sporting Director Fergal Harkin's words about the importance of developing talent to make the step up to the senior ranks. 'Another core pillar is player trading and development,' he said. 'This isn't just about selling talent – it's about creating a vertically integrated pathway from Academy to first team and beyond, which creates long-term value both on the pitch and on the balance sheet. 'Our investment in data-led recruitment and youth development ensures that we aren't just developing talent for ourselves but becoming a club recognised for producing players who thrive at higher levels. 'Our B Team, as well as U18s have had tremendous success this season, winning leagues and cups alike and we hope to build upon these foundations in the years to come.'
