Bolton Wanderers had a star-studded team under Sam Allardyce for much of the 2000’s.
Sam Allardyce spent 8 years as Bolton Wanderers manager, and in that time he guided the team to promotion to the Premier League and established the Trotters in the English top flight, finishing in the top half for four consecutive seasons and bringing European games to the then named Reebok Stadium in two seasons.
Much of this success was made possible by Big Sam’s ambitious and exciting transfer policy, which saw the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha, Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Hierro brought to the Reebok. These top class players transformed Bolton into a team that could give anyone a game on their day, and also made them an exciting and entertaining team to watch for the neutral.
The closest Allardyce came to winning a trophy at Bolton was in 2004, when the club navigated their way past the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa to set up a League Cup final against Middlesbrough at the Millennium Stadium. The final proved a step too far for Big Sam’s star-studded Trotters though, and 2 goals in the first 7 minutes were enough to secure a 2-1 win for Boro. Twelve years on, we take a look at where that Bolton starting XI are now.
Jay-Jay Okocha in action for Bolton in the League Cup final
Jussi Jaaskelainen
Capped 56 times by the Finnish national team, Jussi Jaaskelainen was a very accomplished goalkeeper and among the best in the Premier League for a number of years. The vast majority of his time in England was spent with Bolton, where he played 527 games in 15 years at the club.
Bolton’s joint third all time record appearance holder, Jaaskelainen left the Trotters to reunite with Sam Allardyce at West Ham in 2012, and the 41-year-old is currently starring for Championship side Wigan Athletic.
Nicky Hunt
A product of Bolton’s own youth setup, Nicky Hunt went on to play 161 games for his hometown team between 2001 and 2010. A former England under-21 international, Hunt has played for 6 teams in 6 years since leaving the Macron Stadium, but appears to be a little more settled with his current club Leyton Orient.
Bruno N’Gotty
With Serie A and UEFA Cup Winners Cup winners medals in his trophy cabinet and AC Milan and PSG among his former clubs, Bruno N’Gotty was a player of some pedigree. The Trotters 2004/05 Player of the Year, N’Gotty initially hung up his boots in 2008, but came out of retirement in 2011.
His second retirement came in 2014, aged 43, and the former France international who made his debut in the same game at Zinedine Zidane now manages amateur side Union Football Belleville Saint Jean d’Ardières.
Emerson Thome
Emerson Thome looks to challenge his compatriot Juninho
Brazilian centre-back Emerson Thome played for a handful of British clubs, including Bolton, Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday. He spent just a single season at the then named Reebok Stadium. The 44-year-old is still actively involved in the English game, working as a scout for West Ham United.
Simon Charlton
Another former Trotters Player of the Year, Simon Charlton was a very good servant to Bolton Wanderers, spending 4 years as a regular at the Reebok. The Huddersfield-born left-back now covers Bolton games regularly for BBC Radio Manchester.
Per Frandsen
Former Denmark international Per Frandsen spent 7 years and played more than 250 league games for Bolton in two separate spells with the club. The 2004 season including the Millennium Stadium final defeat to Middlesbrough was Frandsen’s last at Bolton. He now manages AB in the Danish third tier.
Ivan Campo
Ivan Campo complains to the referee during the 2004 League Cup final
Bolton began signing players of serious calibre under Sam Allardyce in the early 2000’s, and Ivan Campo was one of those. Impressive at Mallorca but out of his depth at Real Madrid, Campo was an important and iconic player for Bolton. He played more than 150 league games for the club and now works as a director at Mallorca.
Jay-Jay Okocha
The star man even in a star-studded Bolton team, with all due respect to the Trotters, Jay-Jay Okocha could have graced almost any team in Europe between 2002 and 2006, but Trotters fans will be delighted he spent so long in the North West of England.
So good they named him twice, Jay-Jay was a joy to watch, humiliating some of the Premier League’s most highly-regarded players through his magnificent combination of flair and technique. Okocha retired in 2008 after helping Hull City to promotion from the Championship and now runs his own charity, the Okocha Foundation, and was elected chairman of the Delta State FA in 2015.
Kevin Nolan
An Allardyce favourite, Kevin Nolan often followed Big Sam to club’s, but it was with Bolton Wanderers that he started out, and he became club captain when Okocha left for Qatar in 2006. Nolan played 345 games for Bolton, and later starred for Newcastle and West Ham. The 34-year-old uncapped Englishman most recently served as player-manager at Leyton Orient.
Youri Djorkaeff
World Cup winners Youri Djorkaeff and Zinedine Zidane
Capped 82 times by France, a World Cup and European Championship winner with Monaco and Inter Milan among his list of former employers, Youri Djorkaeff was another high profile signing by Sam Allardyce. Like Okocha, the former New York Red Bulls man now runs his own charity, the aptly named Youri Djorkaeff Foundation.
Kevin Davies
Three-time Bolton Player of the Year and long-time servant to the Trotters, Kevin Davies spent a decade at the Reebok, scoring 85 goals in 407 games. Renowned for his ruggedness, strength and physical style of play, Davies has committed more fouls than any other player in Premier League history.
The former Chesterfield forward won just a solitary cap for England, coming in 2010, when Davies was 33 years old. The cap made him the oldest England debutant for 60 years. Davies hung up his boots in 2015 after a 2 year spell at Preston, and is ‘looking forward to some new challenges’ according to his own Twitter bio.
Subs
Stelios Giannakopoulos challenges Luis Figo in the final of Euro 2004
Sam Allardyce used all three of his substitutes in an attempt to overturn the early 2-0 deficit to Boro. The first player to be introduced was Henrik Pedersen, the versatile and dependable Dane spent 6 years at Bolton, and now owns a sports pub in Silkeborg, where he spent much of his career, named ‘Malet’, meaning goal.
Javi Moreno was the next player to be brought on by Big Sam, the Spanish forward was loaned to Bolton by Atletico Madrid, but failed to score in 8 outings for the club. He is now the manager of Spanish fourth tier team Alcorcon B.
The last player to be called upon was former Greek international Stelios Giannakopoulos. The Euro 2004 winner who spent 5 years at Bolton was brought on in the 87th minute. Now aged 42, Giannakopoulos reportedly now works as a Firefighter for the Hellenic Fire Service.
Bolton players in the buildup to the 2004 League Cup final
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