JESS Lightfoot’s magnificent goal return for Wanderers Women is helping manager Myles Smith keep a smile on his face in what has been a painful week.
Though he might have lost a few nights’ sleep because of toothache in the build-up to this weekend’s game at home to Radcliffe, the Bolton boss has no such concerns about his team’s scoring record in recent weeks.
Everton striker Lightfoot was front and centre during a three-game October run in which Wanderers crashed 25 goals in just three games.
Five of her 15 goals so far this season came in a 10-3 thrashing of higher league Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup last time out, and Smith has been delighted with her attitude since arriving in the summer on a dual registration.
“She’s banging goals in left, right and centre for us, and that’s all you can ask for from a centre-forward,” he told The Bolton News. “She’s the top scorer and full of confidence at the moment, long may that continue.
“Credit has to go to the players who are feeding her – even though she has made some herself – Charlotte (Tyers), Neishai (Gordon), Eboni (Bradshaw) and now Faye (Knox), plus Katie (Holt) with the longer balls out from deep, it’s definitely a team thing, as she’ll tell you.
“But she is scoring for fun at the moment and I think she is a player with a huge amount of potential. She came through at Everton and they have done a superb job with her.
“She came to Bolton and she embraced the challenge. She is only young, so to step into a senior environment when you have only played academy football through your career is something that can go either way, being honest, but she has just handled the pressure that comes with senior football.
“She is a popular member of the group and she works really hard. Just because she is an Everton player, there is no ego there, she gets her head down and works for the team to get results with the goals she scores.”
Jess Lightfoot signed for Bolton this summer on a dual registration from Everton (Image: BWFC)
Lightfoot is currently due to spend the season with Bolton, who also have Olivia Ball on dual registration from Everton along with keeper Annabelle White from Blackburn Rovers.
Bolton’s youthful squad currently top the league table with eight wins out of eight and go into Sunday afternoon’s game with the psychological advantage of having beaten Radcliffe 6-1 last month.
With the headlines and the goals, however, there has been added attention paid to Bolton’s players from higher up the footballing food-chain. And Smith accepts that for the time being at least, players like Lightfoot will probably push on at a greater rate of knots.
“That is what this can do for some players,” he said. “There are a lot of young players in the squad and don’t get me wrong, we want to keep them at Bolton as long as we possibly can, but there will be some players who kick on ahead to play at a higher level. I wouldn’t want to be the person who stopped that from happening.
“You have to look at the player and what is best for them. Jess is scoring lots of goals, a lot of people will be seeing that, and people at clubs I have worked with in the past have said to me ‘that striker is doing well, isn’t she?’ And that is exactly what you want.
“Players who come here on a dual registration should absolutely want to make a name for themselves, then see what the future holds. Jess is doing everything right at the minute.”
Wanderers – who currently play in the sixth tier of women’s football – have furthered their reputation with some of the bigger clubs by being able to offer facilities, coaching and a playing programme comparable to their own.
Smith feels that in the long run, he will be able to draw on a wider ranger of talents to supplement his squad.
He added: “I have said before when I came to Bolton, this project, I didn’t know too many people around, other managers at this level, and to try and get players straight from WSL is probably a bit of an ask at the moment. We are certainly not far off with the ones we have recruited, and it all comes from relationships that we have made over a longer spell but also how much people respect Bolton as a club, it goes a huge way.
“Everyone can see now that this is an ambitious project which aims to go right to the very top.”
Wanderers take on Radcliffe at Atherton Colls’ Dreams 2 Reality Stadium on Sunday at 2pm. Entrance is free.
