Nobby For England

By Mark Heys
October 30 2005

Sam Allardyce spoke about Kevin Nolan being a possibility for the England squad following the Liverpool lad's recent matchwinner at Charlton Athletic and I think it is something that should at least be noted down and considered for future reference by Sven Goran Eriksson.

Nolan is showing form very similar to that of two seasons ago when he managed to hit double figures in his goal tally for the season and although only it is October he is already well on the way to matching or bettering that statistic for this season.

The recent game against West Brom strengthened what I feel has been evident for a couple of years now, Nolan is a good leader on the field and has all the determination of a top class midfielder, the only problem is the competition for places in that position at international level as the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Kieran Richardson are all competing for just four places.

Back in the spring of 2000 the youthful Nolan took to the field as a second half substitute against Fulham in the old First Division and within minutes of his introduction he had unleashed a shot which was heading for the top corner all the way before Maik Taylor, now of Birmingham City, tipped the ball to safety with an excellent save.

Confidence just grew from there on in really as the following season he over-rode a summer injury to become a regular in the side that secured promotion to the Premiership alongside more experienced faces such as Paul Warhurst and Per Frandsen.

Since then he has given 100% effort and commitment to the Bolton cause, chipping in with a number of vital goals and excelling in his performances along the way, not just in the Premiership but also in Europe as he was the Wanderers matchwinner against Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the first round of the UEFA Cup five weeks ago.

He is a huge favourite with the Bolton public, not least for his back to back goals away at arch rivals Manchester United which went on to secure memorable wins over the Red Devils at Old Trafford during the Wanderers early years back in the top flight.

Often snubbed at England U-21 level due to the ignorance of coach David Platt, Nolan has developed in his consistency which was often a part of his all round game which was criticised in the past.

He plays his game simply, yet effectivly and is a key cog in that so-called "hoof" machine that is Bolton Wanderers.

Like Danny Murphy at Charlton, Nolan should be picked on the merit of his recent performances without any shadow of a doubt, but one must ask, is the Reebok Stadium comfortable enough for Mr Eriksson I wonder?.