Bolton boss says Liverpool's Jon Flanagan can kick-start career

The deadline day loan arrival from Liverpool has endured a host of problems on and off the pitch in the last few years which saw him slip from the fringes of the England World Cup squad and the Premier League to the obscurity of Under-23s football.

Flanagan had been a first team regular at Anfield, making his debut at 18, and had already won his first England cap when a knee injury struck in 2014, requiring two operations.

A year-long loan at Burnley on his return did not go according to plan and though he got back into the Liverpool team and earned a new three-year deal under Jurgen Klopp last January – a high-profile conviction for common assault earlier this year threatened to end his chances at the top level.

Convinced the 25-year-old can play a significant part for Wanderers in their Championship survival fight, Parkinson wants to offer Flanagan a chance to start rebuilding his reputation at the Macron.

“When we knew there was a chance of signing Jon, the first thing we did was speak to people who have worked with him in the past,” the Whites boss explained.

“No-one in football has anything but good things to say about him as a character and a player but we’re aware of the historical factors around him. There has been a court procedure there, and he knows he’s got to get his career going again. He’s come here looking to improve his reputation and we’ll give him a platform to do that.”

Flanagan made his playing return for Liverpool’s Under-23s at the end of last month and was included on the bench by Parkinson in Friday night’s win over Bristol City.

The full-back hopes he can find the consistent football which has eluded him over the last couple of seasons.

“I’ll always back my ability,” he said. “I was flying but that’s football, injuries happen, but I have got to get back to he level I was at.

“I think I can bring stability to the squad. My defending is the key so hopefully I can get as many clean sheets and points as possible.”