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Kevin Nolan column
By Kevin Nolan
Bolton captain
The January transfer window is now open and I expect to hear all sorts of rumours in the next month.
When I see Bolton fans out and about I hear a lot from them about who the club are supposed to be signing. They might ask you about rumours regarding your own future.
A few weeks ago people were telling me that I had been spotted at Bellefield, Everton's training ground. I can tell you that this is simply not true.
As far as I know the players at Bolton do not read newspapers too often. I don't think I have bought one for a couple of years.
The only time I tend to read a newspaper is when my Granddad pops round to my house and brings one with him.
Some of the rumours I hear are pure fantasy.
I don't take them too seriously, I don't think that as a player you have much choice, but I also believe that if anything was going to happen in regard to my future I'd be the last to hear about it.
People think that I must be ducking the issue when I say this but players are often the last to know about comings and goings.
Being linked with different clubs - as Tal Ben Haim is at the moment - can be unsettling
Several times the manager has introduced me to a new signing and, in my capacity as captain, asked me to introduce him to the rest of the team. That initial meeting will be the first I'll have known about him.
The transfer window can be a tough time for some players, especially those who are out of contract in the summer.
They are inevitably linked with numerous clubs and this can be quite unsettling.
We have a couple of players in that situation - Tal Ben Haim being one of them. Lots of different papers are linking him with different clubs.
At training we tend to try to make a bit of a joke out of it, telling him that we are sick of him and that now the transfer window is open we might be able to get rid of him!
But although Tal might be going through a bit of a tough time sorting out the right contract for him, his team-mates will not be making it any worse by constantly asking if he is going to sign a new deal.
On a serious note, I think Tal wants to stay at Bolton. He has done well since he came to us and he has been well looked after.
People sometimes forget the difficulties for a foreign player adjusting to life in England
When a player arrives from abroad we have a liaison officer whose job is to help them settle in the area.
There are all sorts of issues to consider; whether to buy or rent a house, which area to live in, sorting out schools, cars and all the day-to-day issues that English players never really consider.
For example, after foreign players have been in the country for a certain period of time they need to acquire a UK licence.
The liason officer helps them find an instructor so they can pass the test and drive themselves to training.
For the players who cannot speak English, it is even more difficult and the liaison officer plays a crucial role at the club.
People sometimes forget the difficulties involved when foreign players sign for a Premiership club.
In addition to the cultural differences and the fast, physical style of play in the Premiership, several players we have signed at Bolton have arrived from countries that are hot all year and have struggled to adjust to our climate.
All of these factors have a real impact and it makes me laugh when people say that Andrei Shevchenko is a massive flop.
OK, he has been far from his best but it often takes more than a few months for a player to settle in England - as his Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba has proven.
At Bolton we do not tend to bring too many players to the club in January. I'm much more likely to notice the manager working hard to sign players during pre-season.
The truth is that the manager cannot afford to miss many training sessions, in
By Kevin Nolan
Bolton captain
The January transfer window is now open and I expect to hear all sorts of rumours in the next month.
When I see Bolton fans out and about I hear a lot from them about who the club are supposed to be signing. They might ask you about rumours regarding your own future.
A few weeks ago people were telling me that I had been spotted at Bellefield, Everton's training ground. I can tell you that this is simply not true.
As far as I know the players at Bolton do not read newspapers too often. I don't think I have bought one for a couple of years.
The only time I tend to read a newspaper is when my Granddad pops round to my house and brings one with him.
Some of the rumours I hear are pure fantasy.
I don't take them too seriously, I don't think that as a player you have much choice, but I also believe that if anything was going to happen in regard to my future I'd be the last to hear about it.
People think that I must be ducking the issue when I say this but players are often the last to know about comings and goings.
Being linked with different clubs - as Tal Ben Haim is at the moment - can be unsettling
Several times the manager has introduced me to a new signing and, in my capacity as captain, asked me to introduce him to the rest of the team. That initial meeting will be the first I'll have known about him.
The transfer window can be a tough time for some players, especially those who are out of contract in the summer.
They are inevitably linked with numerous clubs and this can be quite unsettling.
We have a couple of players in that situation - Tal Ben Haim being one of them. Lots of different papers are linking him with different clubs.
At training we tend to try to make a bit of a joke out of it, telling him that we are sick of him and that now the transfer window is open we might be able to get rid of him!
But although Tal might be going through a bit of a tough time sorting out the right contract for him, his team-mates will not be making it any worse by constantly asking if he is going to sign a new deal.
On a serious note, I think Tal wants to stay at Bolton. He has done well since he came to us and he has been well looked after.
People sometimes forget the difficulties for a foreign player adjusting to life in England
When a player arrives from abroad we have a liaison officer whose job is to help them settle in the area.
There are all sorts of issues to consider; whether to buy or rent a house, which area to live in, sorting out schools, cars and all the day-to-day issues that English players never really consider.
For example, after foreign players have been in the country for a certain period of time they need to acquire a UK licence.
The liason officer helps them find an instructor so they can pass the test and drive themselves to training.
For the players who cannot speak English, it is even more difficult and the liaison officer plays a crucial role at the club.
People sometimes forget the difficulties involved when foreign players sign for a Premiership club.
In addition to the cultural differences and the fast, physical style of play in the Premiership, several players we have signed at Bolton have arrived from countries that are hot all year and have struggled to adjust to our climate.
All of these factors have a real impact and it makes me laugh when people say that Andrei Shevchenko is a massive flop.
OK, he has been far from his best but it often takes more than a few months for a player to settle in England - as his Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba has proven.
At Bolton we do not tend to bring too many players to the club in January. I'm much more likely to notice the manager working hard to sign players during pre-season.
The truth is that the manager cannot afford to miss many training sessions, in