Advertisement

10 former Wanderers who are currently available as free agents

Andy Lonergan and Chris Basham are among the names <i>(Image: PA)</i>
Andy Lonergan and Chris Basham are among the names (Image: PA)

With another season in the books, we have taken a look at some of the former Wanderers who will be free agents this summer.

Josh Emmanuel

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The 26-year-old joined Carlisle on a short-term deal in November and went on to make 14 appearances as the Cumbrians were relegated to League Two.

Emmanuel spent the 2019/20 season at Wanderers, playing 31 times in all competitions before the campaign was cut short by the pandemic.

He then joined Hull but missed over a year of football after he was taken ill. Following his return to the pitch, the wing-back signed for Grimsby and was part of the squad that reached the FA Cup quarter-final before eventually being knocked out by Brighton.

Andy Lonergan

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The veteran goalkeeper spent the past three years at Everton but failed to make a first-team appearance at Goodison Park.

Lonergan had a spell at Bolton between 2012 and 2015, battling with Adam Bogdan for game time between the sticks.

Since then, the 40-year-old has also been on the books of Fulham, Wolves, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Rochdale, Liverpool, Stoke and West Brom. It remains to be seen whether he will look to extend his playing career following his Everton release.

Chris Basham

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The defender has been at Sheffield United for the past decade but hasn’t featured since suffering a horror ankle injury during a 3-1 defeat at Fulham in October, which saw him spent a month in hospital.

Earlier this year, Basham spoke about the toll it has taken on him and his doubts over if he will ever play top flight football again.

The 35-year-old joined the Whites as a youngster and made his Premier League debut in 2008 under Gary Megson. He headed to Blackpool a couple of years later, where he played alongside Ian Evatt.

Ben Amos

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The shot stopper has made more than 80 appearances for Wigan over the past three seasons but only featured in the EFL Trophy this term.

Amos joined Wanderers on loan from Manchester United in 2015 and made the move permanent the following summer.

He was regularly involved during the 2015/16 campaign and loans at Cardiff, Charlton and Millwall followed, returning to the Valley in 2019 after his contract had expired.

Josh Magennis

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

Another ex-Wanderer leaving Wigan this summer, Magennis has spent the past two-and-a-half-years at the Brick Community Stadium, scoring 14 goals in 98 matches.

Magennis played for the Whites during the 2018/19 season, finding the net seven times as Phil Parkinson’s side were relegated from the Championship amid their problems off the pitch.

He then headed to Hull and has continued to represent Northern Ireland, playing with Dion Charles and more recently Eoin Toal.

Arthur Gnahoua

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The forward played 29 times for Grimsby last season, scoring three goals as the Mariners avoided relegation from League Two.

Gnahoua spent the 2020/21 campaign at Bolton as Evatt’s side secured an unlikely promotion back to League One, becoming a cult hero among supporters.

He left Wanderers the following summer and remained in the North West with Morecambe, where he racked up more than 50 appearances over the next couple of years.

Luke Murphy

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The experienced midfielder dropped into the non-league pyramid with Macclesfield in 2022 and helped achieve promotion from the NPL Division One West in his first season with the phoenix club.

Murphy spent a couple of seasons at Bolton between 2018 and 2020, racking up nearly 50 appearances for the Whites before the pandemic hit.

He began his career at Crewe before heading to Leeds for a seven-figure fee in 2013, playing more than 100 times for the Yorkshire outfit. The 34-year-old also had a couple of loan spells at Burton before returning to Gresty Road.

Jamie Proctor

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The attacker spent the past season at League Two club Barrow as Pete Wild’s side narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

Proctor had a stint at Wanderers during the 2016/17 campaign, with his only goal coming in a 4-2 defeat at Blackpool in the League Cup.

The 32-year-old went on to have spells at Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Newport, Wigan and Port Vale among others before heading to Holker Street.

Gary Madine

The Bolton News: Gary Madine suffered a serious knee injury this season
The Bolton News: Gary Madine suffered a serious knee injury this season

Madine’s situation is slightly less straightforward, having been without a club since last summer after suffering an ACL injury.

The striker was released by Blackpool but continued his rehabilitation with the Seasiders, and Neil Critchley played down suggestions of re-signing him several months ago.

Madine spent two-and-a-half-years with the Whites, scoring 26 goals in 107 matches before he was snapped up by Cardiff for a big fee on deadline day. He also had a stint at Sheffield United before heading to Bloomfield Road.

Mackenzie Chapman

The Bolton News:
The Bolton News:

The young goalkeeper spent the past season at Blackpool but did not feature at first-team level for the Lancashire club.

Chapman joined Wanderers’ B Team ranks in 2022 following spells at Accrington, Burnley, Manchester United, Oldham and Oxford.

He made a number of appearances for the second string under Matt Craddock but was released the following summer along with the likes of Adam Senior and Connor Stanley.