Manager says new striker has all the qualities to be a bit hit at Bolton Wanderers
Dougie Freedman believes Bolton Wanderers have pulled off a real transfer coup following the acquisition of England youth international striker Max Clayton.
The 20-year-old put pen to paper on a three-year deal at Macron Stadium on Thursday after Bolton agreed a compensation package with Crewe Alexandra.
"Max Clayton is a wonderful young player who I’ve been trying to sign for a number of years now," the manager said. "Previously, the asking price has been high.
"His contract at Crewe was up in the summer and we’ve been able to strike a compensation package with them.
"He’s previously been in training with us throughout the summer, which has got me licking my lips even more.
"He’s a fantastic signing for the football club. He’s an England youth international and one for the future.
"Can he help us straight away? Probably not. He’s unproven in the Championship but has all the qualities to be successful.
"He’s a very humble young man and the kind of player I like to work with. There won’t be too much pressure on him in the short term.
"I spoke to the board and stressed that I felt this was an opportunity that we couldn’t afford to miss.
"Max went and trained with a few clubs and decided he wanted to come and play here. That shows you we’re doing something right on the training ground."
Clayton is eligible for the weekend's game against Wolves at Molineux.