Xavier Simons says the time is right to break away from Hull City and look to play regular football after completing a move to Bolton Wanderers.
Simons signed a four-year contract with the Trotters on Thursday after City agreed to sell the 22-year-old midfielder for what’s understood to be in the region of £500,000 with a sell-on clause inserted.
The midfielder, who joined City on an initial loan from Chelsea in 2022 before his move was made permanent the following year, played 20 times last season, scoring against Burnley and Derby County.
After starting the season firmly in favour under Tim Walter, Simons fell out of favour following the arrival of Ruben Selles and spent the second half of the season on loan at Wycombe Wanderers.
Though there was interest from elsewhere in Simons, it was Steven Schumacher who convinced him to join Wanderers in their quest to secure promotion from League One.
“I’m made up to be joining Bolton Wanderers. It’s a proper football club with a big history and fantastic support. I’m eager to get started,” Simons said.
“The conversations with the head coach and Fergal (Harkin, sporting director) about their vision for the team and the club made my mind up pretty quickly. You can sense the drive here to achieve things, and that’s something I was keen to be involved with.
“I really benefited from my loan at Wycombe last season, getting consistent games in League One. I want to bring that energy and commitment here, get on the ball and help the team push forward. My job is to contribute to the team’s success in any way I can.
“This feels like the right move at the right time for me. The club is clearly ambitious and I’m looking forward to getting out at the Toughsheet Community Stadium and playing for the supporters. They can expect me to give my all for the badge.”
For his part, Trotters’ chief Steven Schumacher believes Simons is the type of character he wants inside his dressing room as he plots an assault on promotion.
“It’s great to get Xavier on board. He’s got the qualities and the hunger we look for in a midfielder,” the Toughsheet Community Stadium boss added.
“He’ll bring real energy and a competitive edge to our midfield options; he’s got good legs and isn’t afraid to put a tackle in and has a great passing ability – an all-round midfielder. His grounding at Chelsea means he’s technically sound, and he knows what this division is about from his time at Wycombe, on top of his Championship experience with Hull.
“Importantly, Xavier’s desire to be part of Bolton Wanderers is massive for us. He has the ability and the character to make a significant impact for us, and our fans will appreciate his work rate.”
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