NICKY Spooner is to end his 12-year association with Bolton Wanderers and pick up the threads of his career in the American Deep South. The longest serving player on the Reebok books has agreed a two-year deal with Charleston Battery in the North American Soccer League.

He flies out with his wife, Joanne, and son, Callum, to join the South Carolina club on February 23, looking forward to a new lease of footballing life.

"I came to Bolton straight from school at 15 so selling up and taking the family out to America is like going out into the big, wide world," Spooner admitted.

"But it's exciting to look forward to a new challenge. At last it looks like I've had a bit of luck go my way." A catalogue of injuries - the worst when he suffered a broken leg in a controversial flashpoint at Burnley in October 1994 - blighted a highly-promising career, which began under Phil Neal's tutelage and appeared to be set to blossom in Bruce Rioch's reign.

Spooner, who played in Bolton Reserves at the age of 15, had to watch from the sidelines as Wanderers rose from the relative obscurity of the lower divisions to twice win promotion to the Premiership.

"When I came to Bolton we'd just gone down into the Fourth Division," he recalls. "Since then it's been success after success. It's a pity the injuries meant I couldn't have been more involved but the lads always tried to make sure I was part of the success and the gaffer and the club made sure I was looked after. "The tough bit came when I knew I was fit again and realised the club had grown and left me behind."

Spooner has proved his fitness over the last two years and had a chance to earn himself a move earlier in the season when he joined Oldham Athletic on loan. But he was sent off on his debut and was soon back at the Reebok.

Now the Charleston club, managed by former Bristol City manager Alan Dicks have put a new spring in his step.

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