AT this time of year most nine-year-olds are busy drafting up letters to Father Christmas asking for the latest Wanderers kit - but when Thomas Fielding put pen to paper, he was aiming a little higher.

A season ticket holder with the Whites since the age of four, the football-mad youngster decided when his club dispensed with the services of Dougie Freedman as manager last month that he could do a better job.

The Bolton News:

Unfortunately, despite listing a blossoming young career at Oxford Grove Under-10s on his CV, the Oaks Primary pupil was unsuccessful with his application.

His letter of rejection was the talk of the playground – at least until Wednesday night when a surprise visitor dropped by at his weekly training session at Thornleigh School.

Neil Lennon – the man who did get the Wanderers job – called in to pass on some coaching tips and watch Thomas and his pals go through their paces.

“When I read through Thomas’ letter I was really taken with it,” said the Whites boss, who has enjoyed a successful first month at the Macron Stadium with four wins from his first six games.

“It was very well thought out, very well written, and I thought if all the nine-year-olds in Bolton are this clever, I’m in big trouble here.

“But I felt compelled to get in touch - Bolton obviously means a lot to him. His knowledge of the game is very good for someone so young.”

Thomas was given a little help from his grandad, Andrew Nuttall, although his input was chiefly limited to keeping the letter to a manageable size.

“If I’d left him to it, we could have been talking about chapters,” he said. “He absolutely loves Bolton Wanderers and I have to thank Neil Lennon and the club for coming down to do this.

“It’s the kind of thing that will do a great deal for his confidence and live with him for a very long time.”

Proud mum Debora Nuttall added: “He’s a typical boy, and would much rather be out there playing football than reading and writing,” she said. “I think this is the neatest writing he’s ever done but it was entirely his idea.

“He’s there every home game with my dad and I just know this will mean the world to him.”

Lennon exchanged some managerial tips with his young protégé, signed autographs and posed for pictures with the team and coaches Gary Brooks and Asif Vali.

And at the end of the evening, Thomas said Lennon’s visit had made him even more determined to land the Wanderers job at some point in the future.

“It was brilliant, it was a shock,” he said. “When Dougie Freedman left I decided to write to Bolton.

“When they wrote back to me I put the letter on our Proud to Be Me wall at school.

“Now I definitely want to be the manager.”