Reece Burke returned to Championship relegation battlers Bolton Wanderers from Premier League ouftit West Ham United in the January transfer window.
Reece Burke did not make the best impression in his second debut as a Bolton Wanderers player.
The 21-year-old spent the first half of the season at the Macron Stadium on loan from West Ham and returned again in the January transfer window.
But, after a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City in which Burke was hauled off at the break after a torrid first-half, plenty of fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment with the Hammers youngster’s performance.
Though, slowly but surely, Burke is starting to win over the doubters – and a new positon has certainly helped his cause.
A talented, modern centre-back renowned for his ability to play out from defence, Bolton manager Phil Parkinson made full use of his passing skills by handing him an unfamiliar midfield role in the goalless draw with Norwich City on Saturday.
And Burke produced arguably his finest performance in a Bolton shirt so far, not only protecting the defence and enabling a valuable clean sheet but also showing off his wide range of distribution.
Has Parkinson just unleashed the former England U20 star’s potential?
With West Ham manager David Moyes desperate to beef up his midfield, he should be taking a keen interest in Burke’s adaption to this new role.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
