Josh Sheehan 'privileged' to play central role in Wanderers' bid for success
WHATEVER the outcome for Wanderers between now and May, the chances are that Josh Sheehan’s educated feet will have had some say in the matter.A midfield pillar for Steven Schumacher, just as he was for his predecessor Ian Evatt, the Welshman has shouldered the creative burden for the better part of five years.AdvertisementThe numbers suggest he is just as important now to the Bolton cause as he ever was with the ball. Of the seven players in League One who have made more than 400 passes in the opposition final third, Sheehan has found the target with the third-highest total (76.9 per cent), beaten only by Cardiff City pairing Ryan Wintle and Perry Ng.He also averages the fifth-highest pass count per 90 minutes of any midfielder in the league, losing out only to Stockport County’s Oliver Norwood on overall accuracy.AdvertisementOften tasked with setting the tempo in possession, questions have also been asked around the fanbase as to whether Bolton rely too heavily on their Wales international. His ability to take the ball under pressure has beaten many a press – but as Jack Bonham found out to his own cost at the weekend, playing out from the back is not without its risks if the pass is even slightly askew.Sheehan showed against Wigan Athletic recently that he can still be relied upon to score crucial goals despite playing that ‘quarterback’ position, and as he approaches his 31st birthday with a new contract in hand, he may very well be playing his best football since signing for the club from Newport County in the summer of 2021.“Playing-wise, I am probably at the best point of my career,” he told The Bolton News. “I don’t know if that’s performances – that’s not for me to say – but tactically, I see the game in a better light now I’m that bit older.Advertisement“Maybe it’s being away with Wales, working with Craig Bellamy and knowing the amount of tactical detail he goes into. Definitely since the moment he walked into the Wales set up I have played quite a lot of games and I feel like that has brought me on to another level here as well.“I love playing for Bolton and you get that sense of confidence which, obviously, is massive for any footballer. I feel like I am in a good place and I think there is more to come from me too, to be honest.”AdvertisementSchumacher started the season with four players fighting for two midfield positions, with Sheehan joined by Aaron Morley, who has since left for Wycombe, Ethan Erhahon and Xavier Simons, with Kyle Dempsey also able to toggle between the attacking and more defensive roles.Gradually, Sheehan nudged ahead to command a greater percentage of the game-time, something the Bolton boss puts down to consistency.“I think Josh has shown some really good form and the way we have played, the way the opposition set up, and the way the games have panned out often suit his qualities,” he told us. “There are games where I haven’t selected him – maybe for the more physical ones, the games that involve fighting for second balls.Advertisement“I thought Ethan (Erhahon) and Kyle (Dempsey) were brilliant at Lincoln, which was exactly that type of game, and Josh came on a bit later on.“I do try and pick my team according to the style of game I think it will be and we’re blessed with some good players in that position.“Josh is undoubtedly a good player. His intelligence is good and it helps me a lot because if we have to adjust anything tactically, he's one that gets the game. The level that he's playing at, the international experience that he's had, and he listens to the information that they must give in the Wales set-up.Advertisement“He's bright, he understands the game, so he can get your message across effectively.“I would like Josh to be a bit more of a vocal leader because he's got that experience and he's got that respect. He could probably organise and dominate games more from the middle.“But we have got a few lads who are decent leaders and good value for captains. He is certainly one of the captains even though he doesn't wear the armband because he's someone you can trust.”AdvertisementInformed of his manager’s view, Sheehan resolved to take the notes on board.“It’s fair,” he said. “I I feel like maybe not the loudest off the pitch, but on the pitch I'm quite commanding of my teammates, and I'll tell them what's needed, what I believe is needed in that moment.“Obviously that's on me then, to go and show everyone, and if it means helping the boys, then I'm there to do that.”AdvertisementSheehan has been in Lancashire for nigh-on half a decade now but hasn’t quite got the accent licked.“I don’t think I ever will,” he smiled. “My little one is starting to pick it up a bit, though. She’s in school and constantly around the ‘northern lot’ – and we don’t notice it that much, but when the family come up, they notice the change.”The new contract announced last week goes to the summer of 2028 with another year option in the club’s favour. Sheehan looks set to remain a central figure for Wanderers whatever the future has in store, and he appreciates the show of faith.Advertisement“It is not something you can take for granted these days,” he said, “especially when you have a new manager come in, you never know, that's when times at football clubs can be a bit up in the air.“For me it was about tying to show what I was about to the new manager, just as I’d done for the old one. And hopefully I have done that.Advertisement“Not many players stay that long at clubs now, and I think people look at it as staying in the same place, but it's a privilege to be at this club this long and hopefully even longer.“I’ve said before I know I have something left to prove, we all know what our goal is as a club and as a team. The bare minimum should be the Championship and that will be the target until I leave. It was the target from the very first day that I signed.“Hopefully when that time comes it will have happened long before because it’s the least the fans deserve.”
Most Popular
