Six members of the matchday squad from the Wembley win against Plymouth last year are no longer on Wanderers’ books, but how are they getting on at their respective new clubs? We have taken a look at what the past season has looked like at various levels of the English football pyramid.
James Trafford
Trafford made a big money move to Burnley in the summer and was the Clarets’ main goalkeeper for most of the season, making 28 Premier League appearances.
Prior to his arrival at Turf Moor, he played a key role as England Under-21s won the European Championship, saving a last-minute penalty as the Young Lions beat Spain 1-0 in the final. Trafford played every game and managed to go through the whole tournament without conceding.
The 21-year-old also earned a first senior call-up a couple of months ago after Sam Johnstone had withdrawn due to injury. The former Manchester City youngster was on the bench as Gareth Southgate’s squad drew 2-2 against Belgium at Wembley.
Trafford could get the chance to return to Bolton - if Ian Evatt’s men secure promotion - after Burnley’s relegation to the second tier was confirmed at the weekend following a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.
Conor Bradley
Some Liverpool fans might have been a tad surprised by how quickly Bradley adjusted to the challenges of Premier League football, but the Bolton faithful already knew he was a special talent.
The Northern Irish international had a frustrating start to the campaign due to injury but certainly made his mark when he got a run in the side.
Bradley made his top flight bow in a 4-0 win against West Ham in January while Trent Alexander-Arnold was sidelined. He impressed in the following weeks, getting on the scoresheet during a 4-1 victory against Chelsea.
The 20-year-old also scored the winner in a friendly against Scotland in March, cutting onto his right foot and arrowing a superb strike past Angus Gunn to silence the Hampden crowd. It looks like there are big things ahead for the youngster.
Elias Kachunga
Kachunga got on the scoresheet against the Pilgrims and also scored a crucial goal against Accrington Stanley in the semi-final. The experienced forward departed Wanderers at the end of his contract last summer but remained in League One, joining Cambridge on a free transfer.
Kachunga has been regularly involved for the U’s over the past season, scoring six goals in 39 matches in all competitions. He won the club’s Player of the Month prize for December thanks to goals against Fleetwood, Blackpool and Exeter.
The 32-year-old came up against the Whites during the 2-1 victory at the Abbey Stadium in February, which had initially been postponed due to the torrid weather conditions, and returned to the Toughsheet Community Stadium a couple of weeks later for the reverse fixture.
Joel Dixon
Another player who departed at the end of his contract last summer, Dixon returned to Hartlepool in the National League. The shot stopper made 26 league appearances over the past season as the club finished 12th in the top tier of the non-league pyramid.
However, he has not featured since the 2-1 defeat at Barnet in March and Hartlepool’s annual retained list confirmed Dixon has been made available for transfer this summer, along with team-mate Manny Onariase.
MJ Williams
The versatile midfielder made enough appearances last term to activate an extension clause in his Bolton deal, but he decided to join MK Dons in July after interest from the League Two side.
Williams has been an important figure for the Dons this season, playing 42 times as Mike Williamson’s men secured a fourth-place finish.
He was involved in both play-off semi-final legs against Crawley but missed out on a Wembley return following a heavy aggregate defeat.
Kieran Lee
Lee came off the bench for the final 15 minutes against Plymouth and it proved to be a fitting end to his Wanderers career.
The silky midfielder also exited the club at the end of his contract and there were question marks over whether it would bring an end to his 17-year career, which started at Manchester United and also featured spells at Oldham and Sheffield Wednesday.
Lee has yet to make an official announcement over his future but has been without a club over the past season.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel