PEP TALK HELPS LUKE MARCH ON
Hatters gain from Bolton’s move back
WHEN Pep Guardiola said jump, Luke Bolton was only ever going to ask, ‘how high?’.
Formerly a winger in an accomplished but saturated academy, a quiet word from the Manchester City manager and a successful silencing of one of Europe’s brightest prospects prompted a rethink for a teenager bursting with talent.
That came through a studied change of position – with one pre-season outing against Borussia Dortmund in 2018 prompting Guardiola to declare Bolton a midfielder no more.
One year on and the switch to full-back has taken him to first-team Championship football, a deadline day loan move to Luton already bearing fruit with five appearances before the international break.
And it’s all thanks to outdoing one of England’s newest international stars.
“I played against Jadon Sancho, below, in that Dortmund match and Pep was really pleased with how it went,” said the 19-year-old. “Jadon was a top winger and my one-on-one was something that impressed him.
Confidence
“I got a lot of confidence from that. I was facing Dortmund, Liverpool and Bayern Munich out of position and since then I’ve just wanted to continue it.
“People had suggested fullback in the academy but the opportunity didn’t come having played a lot on the wing.
“You can’t not listen to a man of Pep’s stature. I don’t see myself as a winger anymore and I’m enjoying defending, learning more and more and being able to get forward when I can.”
Technically-gifted he certainly is but it’s the mental resolve that has perhaps been the most impressive part of Bolton’s early Championship life.
Confident but not arrogant, the teenager has epitomised the Hatters’ approach to a new division – learning as they go and impressing against big teams in their first second-tier campaign in 12 years. Defeats to West Brom and Cardiff proved an early blow but subsequent wins over Barnsley and Huddersfield have since given new manager Graeme Jones plenty to smile about. Bolton is certainly a happy man too, boasting four wins in his first five matches including the Carabao Cup, with further reward coming via a match-winning assist for England U20s last week. “The lads have worked hard over the summer so the wins were always coming,” he added. “It’s good to come in and give an extra one per cent to that performance but there’s a good squad, the gaffer has used different players and people are performing.
“The Championship is a league which tests your mental alertness, especially at fullback.
Difference
“I back myself anyway but one or two yards make a huge difference. I’ve had (centre-backs) Sonny (Bradley) and Matty (Pearson) help me out massively with that and I’m getting better positioning and more confidence with each game.
“To be a top player you have to have the self-belief, but not over-confidence. Getting that balance right is tough, and something to always work on, but I feel I’ve got it so far.”
Luton fans, more than most, hold their full-backs in high esteem.
Last season saw Jack Stacey and James Justin operate to devastating effect to help bring back-to-back promotions to Kenilworth Road.
But with both moving on to Premier League pastures new – Stacey to Bournemouth and Justin to Leicester – there are gaps to be filled in Luton’s backline.
Not that Bolton sees his role as emulating those that have gone before.
He added: “Luton are very proud of their full-backs and there are a lot of people who speak very highly about what they’ve done.
“I played against them myself but it’s not what James Justin and Jack Stacey used to do, it’s about what I can do.”