Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt has admitted that he is 'very excited' to have secured the signing of Manchester United youngster Shola Shoretire.
The 18-year-old, who joined United's academy at the age of just nine-years-old, has joined the League One promotion hopefuls on loan for the remainder of the season, offering him his first opportunity to secure regular first-team football. He has made five first-team appearances for the Reds so far, but has not featured since the final day of last season, appearing as a late substitute against Crystal Palace.
Capable of playing in several different positions, the versatile forward should benefit from a short-term loan stint at the Macron Stadium, with Wanderers very much aligned with United's own footballing philosophy. They also already have a handful of youngsters on loan from Premier League clubs.
READ MORE: Shola Shoretire names best position after sealing Bolton loan
With the club currently sat fifth in the League One table, a promotion tilt, certainly via the play-offs, is not out of the question, meaning Shoretire will be looking to play a key role between now and the end of the campaign. And for boss Evatt, he believes he is the type of player that could be key in their hopes of achieving promotion.
"I am certainly very excited about working with him," Evatt told The Bolton News. "We have done a lot of due diligence on him, what we think he can bring to the team.
"He has been around the United first-team squad since he was a very, very young man. They think highly of him and he is super-talented.
"You very rarely see a player of his age have the game intelligence he has, playing 360 degrees. And by that I mean to occupy central areas of the pitch, be able to turn and beat an opponent, be able to receive on the turn when he has time and space because he can scan the pitch and knows where he is.
"He adds quality, and like Dapo [Afolayan] he can get people on the edge of their seats, and that is what we want. He is a player who can unlock a door and we need that type of player with 20 big games to go."
Evatt, who took charge at Bolton in June 2020, has also waxed lyrical about the youngster's attitude and how highly United rate him.
He added: "His attitude is first class. We have met with him, met with his father, met with Manchester United – and not just the academy and loan manager but with some of the hierarchy. That shows you where they think he is at, and how highly they regard him.
"Again, the positive message here is that these clubs are trusting us with their top young talents, not just any young player, but their best young players. Like James (Trafford) at Manchester City, or Conor (Bradley) at Liverpool, they want us to look after them and develop them, and it is great credit to everyone here. We should take full advantage."
Shoretire is in contention to make his debut for the club when they face Derby County at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.
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