New Bolton Wanderers B team attacker Connor Stanley proved a 'real handful' against Bamber Bridge in the club's pre-season friendly and the former Manchester United youngster has impressed with his technical ability.
That's the verdict of Wanderers B team boss Matt Craddock. Stanley made the move to the League One side's new B team over the summer from United.
The 20-year-old joined United from Birmingham City in the summer of 2018 and spent four years at Old Trafford, turning out for the club's under-18 and under-23 outfit.
READ MORE: Why Amadou Bakayoko played longer than planned in Bolton Wanderers' B team Bamber Bridge loss
His time at United was broken up with a loan spell in the USA with USL Championship side Atlanta United 2. He departed United this summer upon the expiration of his deal there to join Bolton's new B team.
He has started the club's two pre-season friendlies so far against Atheton Collieries and last night against Bamber Bridge. Stanley impressed with his showing in the number 10 role as his side suffered a narrow 1-0 loss.
Craddock has hailed Stanley's technical ability since coming to the club and believes there were flashes of what he can do against Brig and looked a 'real handful'. The B team at Bolton is a work in progress at the moment having been put together this summer and only played two games, but Craddock believes there are flashes of what they are capable of which he is hoping can be extended as time goes on.
Speaking of Stanley, Craddock said: "He is a Man United product and Connor technically is fantastic. We are doing a lot of work with him at the moment because he gets in really good positions to break the lines and sometimes will play back in, rather than playing forward and getting at people.
"I think what we saw tonight in flashes was that bit and that is what I am really pleased about. I will keep harping on about it but that is what our job is.
"We have got to look at individual players and how we can make them better, and that was one thing that we have been talking with Connor about and he showed that today, so I was really pleased with him. He just showed off how technically good he is.
"He probably had a couple of chances to get a shot off in the first half, which he didn’t. But he will learn from that and I was really pleased with his performances today, he looked a real handful."
He continued: "We have got players that have come from different areas, different clubs, they’ve played different styles. It takes a little bit of time to try and get them up to speed with what we want and how we want to play.
"But they are all trying. They are all listening when we do videos, and we do a lot of work in training.
"I think in flashes tonight it looked like what a Bolton Wanderers team is about, and that is the pleasing thing for me because that is our job. It is going to take time but I think we are seeing flashes, and I keep saying it – the flashes in the pan, we need to make those last longer and happen more often. If we can do that, that means we are making all the players better."
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