Why Zach Clough Deserves to Wear no.10 for Bolton

So as we know, our very own Zach Clough made his debut for Bolton Wanderers wearing the famous no.40 shirt.

Barely worthy of his mad skillz fam yo.

Anyway, I think that with the upcoming season but a matter of weeks ago, there is a pressing need to bestow upon the young man the sort of honour that his talent deserves - the no.10 shirt.

You could make a case for saying that in the years since Jay Jay Okocha we haven't had a single no.10 worthy of the famous shirt as worn with distinction by my own superhero - the one and only John McGinlay.

Let's review some of the competition for that honour in the time since the Nigerian wizard strutted his stuff at fortress Reebok:

Jay Jay Okocha - 2002-2006 (124 apps, 14 goals)

What a player. He had skill by the bucketload. An inspirational captain too, who led the side through the difficult waters of our early Premier League years, laying the groundwork for what was to come. Truly deserving of the no.10 shirt.

Christian Wilhelmsson - 2007-2008 (8 apps, 0 goals)

After we spent the 2006/07 season without a no.10, Wanderers saw fit to offer the famous shirt to the Swedish speedster who joined on loan from FC Nantes. It was a disaster. The player looked disinterested and incapable of repeating the form that he had previously displayed at club and international level - truly a sign of the rot setting in.

Ebi Smolarek - 2008-2009 (12 apps, 0 goals)

Another player who arrived with a formidable reputation but who failed to live up to that name during his time at Bolton Wanderers. The Polish international striker did play under Gary Megson, in fairness to him, but he was weak and ineffective. Saw out his career at the wonderfully named FC Jagiellonia Białystok.

Riga Mustapha - 2008-2011 (18 app, 0 goals)

Wow. What can you say about the dreadlocked Dutchman? Signed from La Liga side Levante amid much fanfare, he proved to be one of the strangest stories to ever befall the Reebok. Treated as persona non grata by Megson from the day he arrived, he would make 17 appearances in his first campaign, and then only one further appearance in the two seasons that followed. Last seen playing for FC Pune in the Indian Super League, I shit you not.

Martin Petrov - 2010-2013 (73 apps, 10 goals)

Finally. This was it. This was the player worthy of the no.10 shirt. Petrov arrived with a wonderful reputation hard-earned at Atletico Madrid, Wolfsburg and Manchester City. A pacy, tricky winger, he was the key signing (or so we were told) of Owen Coyle's formative years in charge of Bolton Wanderers. The reality however was somewhat different. A lethargic and often disinterested presence, the Bulgarian winger hung around for three seasons before departing back to España with Espanyol.

Jermaine Beckford - 2013-2015 (51 apps, 11 goals)

Ah J-Bizzle. J-Beck. A legend in his own lifetime. Another player who arrived with a decent reputation and who proved to be far less effective than we could ever have dreamed. As lethargic and ineffective as we deemed Petrov to be, Beckford took this to the next level. A barely credible return of 11 goals in two seasons was about all we could expect from someone who had previously excelled in League One. He has another shot at the Championship now with Preston North End, who, it must be said, brought out some excellent performances from the main man himself towards the end of the 2014-15 League One season.

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Slim pickings eh? Neil Lennon has to do the right thing and has to award our Zach the coveted no.10 shirt. It's about time that someone brought some glamour and honour back to the famous no.10. I cannot think of a more suitable candidate than Sir Zachary of Clough. Icon of the North.

So there you have it - am I right or wrong?

Let me know beneath the line.