Bolton Wanderers: Top 5 Worst Foreign Imports

With Jay-Jay Okocha winning the Top 5 Foreign Imports award last night, I thought in the interest of fairness we should go back and look at those foreign signings who perhaps didn't play with such successes.

With that in mind, let's dive straight in to the Top 5 Worst Foreign Imports:

5) Bo Hansen

We spent £1m on Bo Hansen. Just let that sink in. Despite 43 goals in just over 100 games for Brondby, Hansen would go on to score a mere 15 times in 93 games for Bolton Wanderers from 1999 to 2002, before he was released to join FC Midtjylland back in his homeland. He was such a poor striker that his most memorable BWFC moment was when he had to go in goal when Bolton lost 0-4 at home to Newcastle United in October 2001.

4) Emerson Thome

The smiling assassin. Supposedly Brazilian, the former Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday defender joined Bolton Wanderers in 2003 following his release from Sunderland. In a largely forgettable Wanderers career, he is best remembered for his shit-eating grin having conceded a penalty against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup Final. He joined Wigan Athletic in a joint deal with teammate Per Frandsen in 2004, and wound down his career playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan. An utterly pointless footballer.

3) Abdoulaye Méïté

A candidate for the worst central defender that we have ever had - the Ivory Coast defender joined for £1.5m from French side Marseille in 2006. Two seasons' service yielded 56 appearances, with every single one of them being utterly pathetic. His career came to an end under Gary Megson when he was blamed for two goals conceded against Manchester United. He claimed he was unfit to carry on, but the Bolton medical staff confirmed that there was no injury. Megson subsequently forced Méïté to train with the reserves, and he played for Bolton again. He was sold to West Bromwich Albion in 2008 where he was equally shite.

2) Fabian de Freitas

Once the club's record signing, the Surinamese forward joined for a reported £800,000 back in 1994. Two desperately poor seasons in the White shirt yielded a mere 7 goals in 40 games, before he was allowed to join Spanish outfit Osasuna. The sole highlight of his Bolton Wanderers career remains the goal scored against Reading in the 1995 First Division Play Off Final, en route to Wanderers winning 4-3 after extra time. This act is not enough to save him from finding his rightful place on this list.

1) Gérald Cid

Could it be anyone else? The calamitous Frenchman was Sam Allardyce's final signing before his departure. It must have been some big old joke played by the Big Man, because Cid was absolutely horrendous. A veteran of only 7 appearances, all of such chaos and hilarity that his name will forever be linked with underperformance and a sense of shambles that Zat Knight could only dream of. He would retire from the game at 27, much to the disappointment of strikers across the world. Truly deserving of the Worst Foreign Import award.