Bolton Wanderers' Aaron Morley picks out his top five games

Having already hit the ton with Rochdale, the Bury born playmaker did the same for Wanderers after replacing Paris Maghoma in last weekend’s FA Cup tie at Luton Town.

He then celebrated the fact in his 101st appearance, scoring from the penalty spot in the midweek win at Accrington Stanley, which put Bolton two wins away from a Wembley return in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

Morley has crammed a fair bit into the early years of his career.

“I’m proud of it,” he said. “I think I’m over 220 games in my career now, so at a young age it is good to have all those games under my belt, hopefully there are many more to come. I’d definitely like another 100 here.

“I’m still learning every day under the gaffer, Pete (Atherton) and the coaching staff. There are players like Kyle Dempsey who has got double what I have got, so I learn from those sort of players every day.

“If I can get to anywhere near where he has got, I’ll have done well.”

Asked for a top three games in a Bolton shirt, the Papa Johns Trophy final against Plymouth predictably came top of the pile.

He struggled, however, to keep his options to three, then five, eventually giving up and admitting: “They were all good.”

Aaron Morley picked out the top five games of his Wanderers career (Image: camerasport)

Morley still has some way to go before catching Cameron Jerome, one of the other names on the scoresheet at the Wham Stadium on Wednesday night.

The veteran striker has racked up 720 games in his career.

“And he’s still running around like an 18-year-old,” Morley added, before giving a glowing reference to the team-mate some 14 years his elder.

“He is crucial in the changing room. His experience, you can’t really get that anywhere. When he talks, says to do this or that, he can be one of the most important players in the team.

“He’s got all the games and medals to show for it as well, been promoted a couple of times, good on him.

“You could see him going into coaching. He always helps us and I think it is in him to do that sort of thing, I wouldn’t put it past him.”

The next test for Morley and Wanderers is the visit of a Cheltenham Town side showing marked improvement under new boss Darrell Clarke.

The Gloucestershire side has proven a hard nut to crack at home in previous years, managing to leave with a point in two of their three visits.

Morley says Wanderers are prepared if Cheltenham decide to sit deep, as so many opponents have sought to do at the Toughsheet this season.

“In training we have been doing a lot of stuff against low blocks, so that teams who sit in, edge of the box,” he said. “I think we are a bit more clued up now on what we should be doing when teams do that.

“We know as midfielders that it falls on us sometimes to make that crucial pass, get it wide or take the shot on, and the gaffer backs us to do that.

“I think we have shown this season that everyone has goals in them. There is depth in the squad and whoever is in from the start we trust they can get results.”

While they are fighting on two cup fronts and League One, Wanderers are growing accustomed to the routine of games on Saturday and midweek – which may yet be the case until the very end of the season.

Cheltenham is followed by the FA Cup replay against Luton, then a trip to Leyton Orient next Saturday.

Morley insists, however, that the squad is capable of passing the challenge on both the mental and physical fronts.

“It isn’t too bad,” he said. “We all back each other whether you are in the team, on the bench, or whatever. We have a big enough squad to cope.

“The league is the priority, fair enough, but the gaffer drills into us the mindset of winning every game. Go into every one like it is your last.

“We’re going into another busy week now but hopefully we can come out of it with three good wins.”