- Founded 1874
- Stadium Toughsheet Community Stadium
- Manager Steven Schumacher
- Competition Championship 2026-27
- Goals 15
- Goals Conceded 18
- Yellow Cards 15
- Total Red Cards 1
Bolton Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Promoted through the League One play-offs after thrashing Stockport 4-1 in the final, Bolton Wanderers have found the second tier a harsher environment. Steven Schumacher’s side have won three of eight but lost four, and 15 conceded is among the heaviest returns in the division. Fifteenth on 10 points is a fair reflection. Below, we take a look at Bolton’s most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
One note on the Championship: the division does not carry expected-goals data, so these ratings are built on volume and quality of actions – shots, big chances, duels, clearances, passes into the box – rather than xG and xA.
GK: Jack Bonham – 59% – Fifteen saves from five starts and a remarkable 12 completed sweeper actions, the most of any goalkeeper in the division bar one. Against that, an error leading to a goal and another leading to a shot, which is what drags the rating below the average.
RB: Gaizka Larrazabal – 59% – A goal and 11 interceptions from six starts, but almost nothing else. The right-back position has offered Bolton very little going forward.
RCB: Chris Forino – 70% – The best defender at the club by a distance. Forty-nine clearances, 13 interceptions, six blocked shots, 46 duels won, 22 aerials and 10 tackles won, all club-leading or near it, from six starts. Forino has adapted to the level immediately.
LCB: Ben Davies – 62% – Thirty-seven clearances and 16 possessions regained in his own third from four starts. Davies brings the experience but has not been a regular, and the defence has looked less settled without him.
LB: Max Conway – 68% – An excellent two-way season. Thirteen tackles won, 24 possessions regained in his own third and 41 progressive passes all lead the club, with eight chances created, an assist and two clean sheets. An error leading to a goal is the one blemish.
RCM: Josh Sheehan – 64% – The most involved player in the side. Fifteen shots, 41 passes into the penalty area, 96 into the final third and 13 corners are all club highs, with 11 interceptions and 10 chances created. Twelve fouls and a red card are the costs, and 13 conceded with him on the pitch is the worst figure at the club.
LCM: Ethan Erhahon – 65% – A goal, 52 passes into the final third and a club-leading 26 possessions regained in the middle third from six starts. An error leading to a goal is the mark against him.
AM: John McAtee – 60% – Five starts, 332 minutes, one assist and two big chances missed. McAtee has not made the No.10 role his own and it is the position where Bolton most obviously need more.
RW: Samuel Iling-Junior – 64% – An assist and a direct free-kick from five starts. Iling-Junior has flashes but the numbers are thin, and 389 minutes suggests he has not convinced for a full game.
LW: Thierry Gale – 70% – Three goals, an assist, two clear-cut chances created and a club-leading 31 touches in the opposition box and 12 completed take-ons. Gale has been Bolton’s most dangerous attacker and the one player who consistently beats his man.
ST: Sam Dalby – 64% – Three goals from 10 shots, with 54 duels won and 37 aerial duels won, both club-leading figures. Sixty-one duels lost is the worst in the side and three big chances have gone, but Dalby has led the line willingly in a team that asks a lot of it.
Worth a mention: Ruben Rodrigues has rated at 76% across four appearances, the highest figure at the club, and has converted a penalty.
Bolton’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Rúben da Rocha Rodrigues
- Free-kicks: Josh Sheehan, Samuel Iling-Junior
- Corners: Josh Sheehan, Rúben da Rocha Rodrigues
Josh Sheehan has taken 13 of Bolton’s corners to Rúben da Rocha Rodrigues’ 12. Josh Sheehan has had two of the direct free-kicks. Rúben da Rocha Rodrigues has converted from the spot.
Bolton FAQs
How have Bolton started the 2026/27 season?
Mixed. Bolton are 15th on 10 points from eight games, with three wins and four defeats, and have conceded 15 goals – among the worst records in the division.
Who is Bolton’s best player this season?
Ruben Rodrigues rates highest on 76% from four appearances. Across a fuller run it is Chris Forino and Thierry Gale, both on 70%.
Where did Bolton finish in the 2025/26 League One season?
Bolton Wanderers finished fifth in the 2025/26 League One campaign, earning promotion after an emphatic 4-1 victory over Stockport County in the play-off final.
Who is the Bolton manager?
Steven Schumacher is the head coach of Bolton Wanderers. The Liverpudlian was appointed in January 2025 and earned promotion to the Championship through the play-offs.
Who is the current Bolton captain?
Eoin Toal is the club captain of Bolton. The Northern Ireland defender has been at the club since 2022 and was made captain in August 2025.