Basham hoping for new deal

15 April 2009 12:23
Chris Basham is hoping his performance in Bolton's thrilling 4-3 encounter with Chelsea at the weekend has convinced the club to offer him a new deal. The Trotters midfielder came on in the 66th minute at Stamford Bridge with his side trailing 4-0 but just 12 minutes later Gary Megson's side had their hosts on the ropes with the score at 4-3. The 20-year-old got in on the act and scored his team's second goal of the afternoon and, with his contract expiring in the summer, he is hoping the strike will give Megson a timely reminder of his talents. The North West club have the option of extending the youngster's contract by a further 12 months and the player himself is optimistic he has impressed enough to be rewarded with another year. "I don't want to get involved in contracts but hopefully what I have done since breaking into the team this season will get me the extra year," he told The Bolton News. "I'm enjoying my football at Bolton. I have surprised myself. My aim this year was to play a few games in the cup if I could. "But to have seven Premier League games under my belt now I can hardly believe it." Bolton captain Kevin Davies also acknowledges that his team-mate's progress this season has not gone unnoticed. "He has come on leaps and bounds this season," he highlighted. "We've all been young and been thrust onto the big stage, some take to it and others don't. But Chris has really taken to it. "He is quite a slight lad but he has done a lot of work on the weights to build himself up. That extra work has really helped him to improve. "He has got that enthusiasm that you get with younger players and for him to get on at Stamford Bridge and get a goal, I am really pleased for him."

Source: SKY_Sports