Wanderers are finalising plans to launch a Regional Training Centre in Northern Ireland following on from the start of a successful partnership with the Lisburn and Castlereagh Junior League.
The initiative will see young players aged 9-14 get the opportunity to train on a weekly basis alongside their regular club training commitments.
As well as benefitting players and their clubs in the Lisburn and Belfast areas, the proposed training centre – part of BWFC’s international model – will also allow Wanderers to identify young talent and strengthen the club’s link with Northern Ireland.
Chris Budd, Chairman of Lisburn and Castlereagh Junior League, said” This is something ourselves and Bolton Wanderers have been working extremely hard to establish.
“We are excited and passionate about this, as we strongly believe that the new RTC will allow players to maximise their full playing potential and will add great value for young players to train and progress.”
Wanderers – who have Northern Ireland internationals Dion Charles and Eoin Toal as part of their first-team squad – entered into a strategic partnership with the Lisburn Castlereagh Junior League in January.
Established in 1990, the Lisburn Football League started out with six clubs and has since progressed to organise fixtures for more than 130 teams across several age groups.
The League has seen players such as David Healy, Paddy McNair, Aaron Hughes and former Wanderers' manager Neil Lennon go on to win full international honours for Northern Ireland.
Bolton Wanderers’ Chief Executive Officer, Neil Hart, said: “We’re delighted to be building on the partnership we have forged with the Lisburn and Castlereagh Junior League with the launch of the Regional Training Centre.
“The League is already an outstanding starting point for young players in that part of Northern Ireland and the input of staff from our International Football Programme will further benefit both players and coaches to help them enjoy the game, improve their learning and potentially progress further.
“The RTC will also allow Bolton Wanderers to strengthen our relationship with football in Northern Ireland to hopefully benefit all parties and also extend the work of the club’s International Football Programme, which is having an impact in many parts of the world.”
The initial recruitment of players for the RTC, which is due to start in line with the league’s 2023/24 season, comes partly from coaching clinics held over the summer in Lisburn, as well as recommendations from local club coaches.
The BWFC International model is being offered globally and supports our partners with a technical syllabus, regular visits by BWFC staff, as well as offering coach education opportunities. This allows all our players and coaches using the model to have access to a wide range of resources, including tours to Bolton.
For more on the Lisburn and Castlereagh Junior League, please click HERE.
For more information and get involved with the Bolton Wanderers FC International Football Programme, please contact Paul Wozny on pwozny@bwfc.co.uk