‘NEVER fall in love with a loan player’ is the seldom-heeded advice given to all football fans when a new player arrives from his parent club looking for games, to revive their reputation, or simply to try and start again.

When a loan works well, the line between ownership blurs. Even the player tends to start referring to his loan club as ‘we’ in interviews, for they are – for a specific spell of time – one of the team.

This season Wanderers have seen a range of success in the loan market, from James Trafford and Conor Bradley’s unquestionably positive impact, to the more debatable efforts of Owen Beck, Dan Nlundulu, Luke Mbete or Shola Shoreitire.

But the very fact that loan players have made up such a high percentage of Ian Evatt’s first team has been a cause of concern for some, almost as if a false economy has been created.

Before we address the merits of that argument, it is worth examining the mechanics of a loan move and what motivates players to travel far from home, often live alone in hotels, all in the pursuit of more games on a Saturday.

In many cases – and more than fans tend to realise – it is the parent club who engineer the move.

Liverpool made fastidious checks on Bolton’s training ground, their match preparations, the drills Evatt and his coaching staff favour, even the dressing room and gym facilities, before sanctioning Bradley’s season at the club. The youngster, at least at first, had very little say in the matter.

By January, Championship clubs had caught on to the Northern Irishman’s talents. Liverpool received a handful of requests, at least one from Preston North End, to cut his loan short at the halfway stage and send him up to the higher level.

The Reds had continued to keep a close eye on his progress, knew he was happy and more importantly playing the style of football which had been promised back in the summer. Bradley did make it clear that he wanted to remain at Bolton – but had the Anfield club been in any way dissatisfied with his day-to-day life under Evatt, he would have been moved on.

Trafford is a similar case, and one which is particularly relevant this week.

Back in January 2021 his loan at Accrington had not gone to plan. He was second choice behind Toby Savin in the final couple of months of his stay at the Wham Stadium and, by his own admission, in a “low moment” in his young career.

The goalkeeper had been on Wanderers’ radar via Chris Markham, the club’s technical performance director, and his contacts within the English Football Association. Whereas there was an element of chance when they opted to bring in a 19-year-old to play ahead of Joel Dixon, from City’s point of view it was win-win.

At the Etihad, Trafford’s technical qualities were highly valued, but they knew the only way to plane away his rougher edges and make him a more mature character would be to subject him to a pressured environment. In that sense, the UniBol was perfect.

Evatt’s side had slumped after a reasonable start in League One, struggling to overcome waves of illness and injury. Although it all worked out well in the end, some were looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone at Christmas, a teenage keeper not necessarily the answer to their prayers.

Of course, Trafford’s often immaculate performances soon put paid to any nerves. He was happy and with City pleased with his development – checked in weekly meetings – he was offered a five-year deal in the summer that the Premier League club sold another of their young goalkeepers, Gavin Bazunu, to Southampton for £12million.

The young keeper had hit a sweet spot with Bolton. He was geographically well placed to keep in regular touch with his farming family in Cumbria, but also close enough for City to keep him bobbing in for their regular talks with Pep Guardiola’s trusted coach Xabier Mancisidor – a hard taskmaster often cited in Trafford’s interviews as someone who has helped refine his laser-sharp focus.

City initially wanted to move Trafford out of his comfort zone this season. Belgian side Anderlecht were considered until Blues legend Vincent Kompany came back to the UK with Burnley, and there was an option to send him to any one of the club’s several feeder clubs around the continent.

But implored by Evatt, Markham and to some degree, Trafford himself, City chose to give him a full season at League One level, just as they had done for Bazunu at Portsmouth 12 months earlier.

Time has told they made the right decision. Trafford has broken club records with the number of clean sheets he has helped to keep, developed his handling and distribution under Matt Gilks’s tuition, and become arguably Bolton’s most consistent goalkeeper since Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Many supporters had pinned their hopes on him staying on next season, and some have even taken umbrage with comments made last weekend by him that suggest he won’t. But as Trafford and Bradley know full well, they have only a limited amount of say in their next destination.

City have invested a lot of money in the youngster, now an England Under-21 international, and there has been talk that he will head back to the Etihad next season as understudy to Ederson in the Premier League.

Scottish giants Rangers, who were another suitor watching him closely in January, will have kept him on their radar.

There may also be the option to cash-in should an offer of similar size come in over the next few months. Trafford will be in the shop window in the Euro Championships with Lee Carsley’s Young Lions, and the world’s eyes will be watching closely.

Trafford and Bradley have made bonds at Bolton that will not disappear quickly. They can both cement a fine legacy by helping Wanderers in the play-offs, where promotion alone will be worth a guaranteed £6million in sponsorship.

In reality, however, Wanderers are a long, long way from being able to purchase their likes on a permanent basis. And that is where the argument of false economy comes in.

Evatt maintains that loaning promising young players from the biggest clubs is beneficial, and it is clear that the club’s reputation in recent seasons has come along leaps and bounds. Trafford and Bradley back up his case, of that there is no doubt.

Some may hark back to the end of the Premier League era, however, and recall that after a golden run of loans like Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge, Owen Coyle’s well suddenly ran dry. Finances played their part, but Bolton’s recruitment let them down in the last 18 months of their top-flight stay and the rest is history.

This is not new information for Evatt nor Markham. They are canny operators who despite not knowing what division they are planning for, will have ideas for both scenarios.

As Wanderers wave farewell to Trafford and – hopefully – “À bientôt” to Bradley, it worth a reminder on who is pulling the strings.