Former £1 Million Signing Joins League One Promotion Hopefuls

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rochdale fullback Luke Matheson has joined Bolton Wanderers’ B team, the club has officially confirmed.

Matheson made his debut for Rochdale in the EFL Trophy aged just 15, becoming the club’s youngest-ever debutant to this day.

The teenager even bagged a dream goal at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup as the Dale earned a 1-1 draw away at Manchester United in 2019 before losing on penalties.

At the end of the 2019/20 campaign, a 17-year-old Matheson made the leap to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League for a reported £1 million, according to the BBC.

Unfortunately, the youngster never had the opportunity to debut at Molineux, instead being loaned out to numerous clubs in Scotland and England; Ipswich Town, Hamilton and, most recently, Scunthorpe United.

By the end of the 2022/23 season, Matheson was released from Wolves but has now moved to Bolton Wanderers permanently following a successful trial with the League One outfit, joining Matt Craddock’s B squad.

Matheson’s comments

Speaking at his unveiling as a Trotter on the club’s official website, the Manchester-born fullback mentioned his delight in signing for Bolton Wanderers:

“It’s a chance for me to get back on my feet again.

“For different factors, it didn’t work out at Wolves, so it’s just me turning the page of the book, carrying on my career, carrying on the journey and Bolton, from what I’ve experienced so far, seems the perfect place for me to find my feet again. Every player and the staff – everyone I’ve met – has been amazing with me.

“The day I signed my first professional contract was one of the happiest moments of my life. Growing up, every boy’s dream is to be a professional footballer and to live that is something I’ll never take for granted.”

Writer’s View

Matheson was Man of the Match at Old Trafford that evening when he scored his first professional goal. It seemed as though the then-16-year-old was destined for a top career in the game.

Nevertheless, development isn’t linear. Joining Bolton could be the perfect move for Matheson to get his career back on its correct trajectory and reignite the fire within the same player who once danced around the Theatre of Dreams.