Cod Almighty | Article

by Michael Shelton

30 August 2006

After beginning the summer in the unenviable position of having no club to pay his wages, Danny Boshell travelled to join the players on their pre-season boot camp when all about him were doing their best to get away as soon as possible. He appeared in a couple of friendlies, only to be prevented by injury from signing before the start of the season. Here followed a will-he-won't-he saga of true Eastenders proportions, except without the dodgy cockney accents, until the deed was done and Boshell signed on a short-term contract in late August.

Boshell started his career as a trainee at Oldham, for whom he made 45 senior starts before being loaned to Bury. In August 2005 he signed forStockport and made 28 starts last season – including the game at Blundell Park in which Stockport defied the league table to win 3-1 against a high-flying Town side.

Our Daniel is 25, a central midfielder, and went to the same Bradford school as Paul Bolland where the two played football together. If Bolland produces anything like the form he displayed consistently last season he is unlikely to be replaced by his old buddy, and Boshell will probably have to make do with being back-up for the team. But the squad is very weak and has a chronic shortage of depth, and Boshell is an extra body with experience of playing at this level. My guess is that he'll be on the bench more often than he'll start, but he just might play a crucial role covering for injuries and suspensions in what already looks like it might be a very long and difficult season.