Bolton Wanderers fans column - Best and worst of Euro 2024

The 'Best' Wanderers XI of Euro 2024 nations

by Liam Hatton

WITH the Euros now underway, I thought this week would be a good idea to try something different.

The rules are simple: A line-up of former Bolton players who have played for their countries who are participating in this year’s tournament. 

Goalkeeper - Adam Bogdan

Could have gone with Aaron Ramsdale, but considering he was released from our academy setup without making a senior appearance, that would have been a cheat code. Bogdan was always solid for Bolton, with the highlight being a MOTM performance against Liverpool which earned him a move to Merseyside.

Right back - Vincent Candela 

Another big name signed by Sam Allardyce who truthfully did not pan out. He was well renowned for the national setup however, making 40 appearances for France.

Centre back - Gary Cahill

In terms of modern day Bolton players who have represented England, Cahill is absolutely at the top of the list. He held 61 caps and started every game at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 - including captaining the side against Slovakia. 

Centre back - Fernando Hierro

89 caps for Spain including 29 goals. Of all of the names who have signed for Bolton, Hierro is probably the biggest, even if his stay was very short but sweet. Amazingly, only five players - David Villa, Raul, Fernando Torres, Alvaro Morata and David Silva - have scored more international goals than Hierro. 

Left back - Marcos Alonso

A player who was good at Bolton, but went on to much bigger things, especially during his time at Chelsea. His last appearance for the national team came in 2022. 

Defensive midfield - Ivan Campo

Only picked four times for his country, but that included a call up for the 1998 World Cup in which Spain exited at the group stage. Perfect for this role, and you can be sure he would grab the ball as he was fouled to ensure a free kick. Some guy he was. 

Centre midfield - Per Frandsen 

Wonderful player with a foot like a traction engine. Earned a spot at the 1998 World Cup during his first spell, whilst his second tenure at the club ensured promotion to the Premier League. 

Centre midfield - Youri Djorkaeff 

This goes without saying, a legend of the game who only won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, so no big deal. Set up the second goal for Zinedine Zidane in the 3-0 win over Brazil in the 1998 final, so again, no big deal. 

Loved him for Bolton, it is a toss up between him and Jay Jay in terms of the most talented player to lace up a pair of boots.

Second striker - Nicolas Anelka

This is where it gets a bit wavy but Anelka has played behind the striker during his career. Out of all of the players signed by Bolton, he is probably the best I have seen in terms of playing at their absolute prime. A joy to watch and still boggles the mind to this day how we got to see him pull on a white shirt.

Centre forward - Kevin Davies

Only the solitary cap for England, but how big a deal was it for Bolton fans to witness that at the time? Always felt like it was well deserved, even if he did get a yellow card almost straight away. It wouldn’t be SKD without a booking, and of course he had to be in this team.

Centre forward - Nat Lofthouse (captain) 

It had to be. It just had to be. The Lion of Vienna - a nickname he garnered playing for England against Austria - had 30 goals in 33 appearances and has one of the best goals-per-game ratio in history for his country.

Adam Bogdan managed to be voted into the best, and the worst, of our fans' XIs (Image: PA)

... And the 'Worst' Wanderers XI of Euro 2024 nations

by Tony Thompson

I’VE been tasked with naming a ‘Worst XI’ of Bolton Wanderers players who have represented countries at the Euros, so apologies to anyone who reads their own name in this list.

I can only take one player from each nationality, which means I can’t list off the entire team which got relegated to Division Four in the eighties, and I have enforced my own rule that they also had to play first team football because otherwise I could pick random names like Zoltan Harsanyi.

In goal I have Adam Bogdan. He’s a bit unlucky because I had to shuffle the team around a bit and needed a different nationality, but he was also the keeper when we dropped out of the Premier League, so I am sticking with my pick.

My back four is made up of Italian Francesco Pisano, who was one of those odd Neil Lennon signings, Belgium’s Dedryck Boyata, just dreadful, a Slovakian in Lubomir Michalik who I once met on a petrol forecourt at Rivington Service Station and he looked thoroughly browned off, and a left-back who needs no introduction, Mr Gerald Cid.

On the right wing I have shoehorned Dutchman Mustapha Riga in even though he was technically a striker.

Central midfield will be operated by the tough nut Turk Akin Bulent and the completely forgettable Filip Twardzik, who I think was a Czech.

On the left side of midfield I have my English entrant, a certain Mr Peter Barnes, who cost a few bob and had a great career but did absolutely nothing at Bolton.

Up front in this band of misfits I have one of Big Sam’s mistakes, Spaniard Salva Ballesta, alongside another complete waste of money in Pole, Ebi Smolarek, who I am sure was signed by Gary Megson. He beat his countryman Grzegorz Rasiak by a nose but only because he didn’t have to follow Nicolas Anelka into the team.

There were plenty of worse players, I’m sure, and time has certainly eroded my memory of some of the poorest teams of the John McGovern and Phil Neal eras, when everything at Burnden Park seemed to be grim and unhappy.

You have to consider the level they were playing at as well. Most of the Premier League players I have listed would have walked into the team in years gone by, so everything is relative.

A special mention to Clayton Donaldson, by the way, who was in this list until I was informed that he had played for Jamaica. Now I just feel bad for them.