Bolton’s England cricket star Matt Parkinson believes Kevin Nolan is the right man for Wanderers.

The Heaton leg spinner watched from afar while on tour over the winter as the Whites dropped into the fourth tier of English football for just the second time in their history.

Now having dismissed Keith Hill as they rebuild for League Two, UniBol bosses are on the hunt for a new manager.

Like many, Parkinson has opted for a fans’ favourite as he prepares to head to down to Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl as part of an England training camp for the Test series with the West Indies.

“I want Nolan, but that’s the romantic choice I think,” Lancashire’s former Bolton School and Canon Slade pupil told a Zoom press conference.  

“I’ve heard Nigel Clough mentioned too. Ian Evatt is a mate of Livi’s (fellow Lancashire and England hopeful Liam Livingstone) too I think.”

Parkinson believes rebuilding after relegation will be no straightforward task having tried to keep track of Wanderers’ results while with England in New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

“It’s not been great,” he said. “I’m hoping we find our level which at the moment is League Two and I think we might still struggle there.

“It’s been a tough few months for the lads. I followed it while I was away, there’s loads of football fans in the squad, only one Bolton fan though!”

As Parkinson gets ready to be locked down with his England colleagues as the 30-man party is whittled down to a final Test squad, his twin brother Callum is in altogether different situation.

He, along with his team-mates, has been placed on furlough by county Leicestershire with Lancashire and Surrey the only two clubs not to have used the scheme as news is awaited on the domestic season beginning later in the summer.

Given their respective schedules, time for the brothers is precious.

“He’s actually back in Bolton,” Matt said. “We’ve done a couple of those distance walks but it was a load of Zoom calls to start with.

“I haven’t seen much of him over the last few months. He was in Melbourne when I was away. It will be nice when it’s all over to catch up.

“To be fair he lives down in Leicester so at this time of year I don’t see a great deal of him.

“We’re still close and it makes the time we are together that bit more special.”