Town boss Mick McCarthy says fans shouldn’t expect too much too soon from 16-year-old midfielder Andre Dozzell, who was on the senior bench for the first time for Saturday’s home game against Nottingham Forest.
There has been a buzz about the England U17s international skipper, the son of former Blue and current academy coach Jason, for a number of years as he came through the academy ranks but McCarthy is keen that supporters’ expectations shouldn’t be too high as he makes his first steps into senior football.
"He’s not going to be some sort of saviour to the team and to the club, some superhero at the age he is,” McCarthy said.
"But he’s a really good young player and if circumstances dictate that he can get a game and I can play him, then I’ll play him.
"But not because he’s Andre Dozzell or because he’s the son of a former player and it’s causing excitement, but because actually he’s a good player.
"I get that [he’ll get more attention because of his name and his father’s history with the club], I’m not unaware of that, I’m also aware that having Andre Dozzell on the bench would have far more of an effect that having Adam McDonnell on the bench.
"But he should just be allowed to develop and become a good player and not have too much pressure put on him.
"There are a few of them like that. Kundai Benyu is back training now and in the midfield area we’ve got Bish still, lest we forget, and Adam McDonnell, who has been doing really well, James Blanchfield as well.
"There are a group of midfield players who have come through the academy, young pros, who are very promising.”
Dozzell junior won't be involved at Bolton tonight having played for the U21s at Watford yesterday.
McCarthy says fans need to trust his judgement, as well as that of his assistant Terry Connor and academy director Bryan Klug, as these young players are integrated into the first team squad.
"If they don’t trust me now then I might as well pack up and go home!” he laughed. "I was asked about planning for the future, well the average tenure of a Championship manager is about 10 months.
"You want to be looking after the here and now but, of course, I’ve always got one eye on the future, especially with the young players, and good young players.
"Bish got in the team and would have been in the team at the end of the previous season when we played Burnley on the final day but he was injured.
"He got in and was a sensation, but even then we had to look after him because he had his shin splints and he had ongoing injuries.
"It’s a really tough, physical environment that they’re coming into, so sometimes picking and choosing when they can play gets the best out of them, which is important.
"If you put them in and you don’t get the best out of them and they struggle, that can be a real setback to their careers, both emotionally and career-wise, they just think they’re not good enough and it knocks them for a while.
"It is a balancing act but Bryan Klug’s got far more experience than I have of dealing with lads that age but I’ve certainly had young players in the team and it does refresh your team if you get one in and it excites everybody. Hopefully that’s going to be the case.”