Former Premier League footballer Cameron Jerome has been released from Bolton Wanderers at the age of 37 after the club’s retained list was revealed yesterday.
Jerome, who made over 200 appearances in England’s top flight as well as over 300 appearances in the Championship, has been plying his trade at Bolton Wanderers for the last two seasons. He made 55 appearances for the Trotters, scoring four goals and grabbing one assist.
Despite making 43 appearances this season, the veteran striker averaged just 20 minutes per game with the former England U21 International moving into more of a mentor role, imparting his experience into manager Ian Evatt’s squad. After becoming endeared with many supporters, some fans had hoped to see Jerome enter a coaching role at the club.
The former Stoke City, Norwich City and Birmingham City man’s cameos under Evatt had made him popular on the terraces applying his strength to his advantage across the pitch and even featuring in a new chant that Wanderers fans had concocted for the League One play-offs, mentioning “Cameron Jerome on the bench.”
Evatt did indeed turn to Jerome throughout the play-offs as he made three appearances off the bench. Despite this, there was to be no fairy-tale ending for the attacker who has tasted glory winning the League Cup with Birmingham in 2011 as Oxford United and Josh Murphy swept aside the Trotters to win promotion to the Championship.
Now finding himself as a free agent, Jerome will have to weigh up his options at the age of 37 as to whether he will join an eleventh career club or hang up the boots on a well-rounded career that saw an EFL cup win, an EFL trophy win, over 700 professional appearances, a run to the Europa League round of 32 with Stoke City and two seasons in Turkey’s top flight with Göztepe.
Icelandic striker and fellow frontman Jón Dadi Bödvarsson has also been released by the club. Both players’ contracts at Bolton Wanderers expire June 30 2024.
Writer’s View
Joining Bolton back in the January of 2023, Jerome was a smart signing by Ian Evatt, adding support to the strike force while also bringing in the experience of a seasoned Premier League footballer with forays into Europe to boot. This knowledge was surely not lost on the Bolton squad as Jerome could often be seen during warm-ups or mid-game shouting instructions like an assistant manager.
He was clearly a valued member of the squad, respected by the fans and an important component of the Wanderers’ play-off run to Wembley. Jerome will be 38 this summer and has undoubtedly earned a rest after a lengthy career that started in 2004 with Cardiff City.
Nevertheless, if the fire in the belly the veteran striker will continue to be without a doubt an attractive prospect for League Two and National League outfits looking to bring a little bit of finesse and know-how into their team in preparation for the new season.
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