Former Wanderer Shakes Gives Inside Info

Last updated : 03 March 2006 By Matt Bottom
The Brixton-born flyer joined Charlton as a schoolboy with high hopes, but was later released and it was not until he switched to the Wanderers academy in 2001 that he began to show his true potential.

He had an impressive spell on loan at Bury, but when Wanderers freed him last summer, he opted to move to Swindon with his Reebok team-mate, Charlie Comyn-Platt.

In the meantime, he acquired a Trinidad & Tobago passport -- his mother being Trinidadian -- and, after Coventry striker, Stern John, had informed T&T officials of his eligibility, he was offered trials with the Soca Warriors.

But he will be forever grateful to the Whites for helping him on his way.

Asked to give an insight into the secret of Wanderers' success, he praised the Reebok backroom staff. "There are loads of people there to help the players," he said. "even three or four physios.

"It's a big team, a big family and there are always people to talk to. There's a good vibe there."

Meanwhile, Bolton boss Sam Allardyce admits he'll have failed if the team doesn't qualify for Europe again this season.

"This club has never before been capable of getting into Europe two seasons on the trot but this season would be a failure if we didn't achieve it - and the players know it," he said.

"They were the ones who went spouting off after we had lost in Marseille saying they wanted more.

"They have said it, the challenge for them now is to go out and do it. Anything less is unacceptable."