CONNOR Hall is knocking hard on the door for a first team opportunity, according to Wanderers boss Phil Parkinson.

The former Sheffield United trainee joined the senior squad at Sunderland on Tuesday night for the first time since arriving from Bramall Lane at the end of last season.

The 19-year-old signed his first professional deal with Wanderers in July and also accompanied Parkinson’s side on tour to Scotland, featuring in a handful of the pre-season friendlies over the summer.

Since then he has impressed both the Whites boss and his development squad coach David Lee, leading to his inclusion in the travelling party bound for the Stadium of Light.

“He scored a couple of goals against Southport during the week and one on Monday night against Sheffield Wednesday and he’s got a great attitude,” said Parkinson of the Slough-born striker, who did not make the team-sheet but is now training regularly with the seniors.

“David Lee and Tony Kelly keep saying to me that if I get the chance, have a look at him, because they think he deserves an opportunity to be included in and around the first team.

“He’s had a taste of it and when you watch him play it’s clear he’s got a massive heart.

“He gets goals in training, he’s brave and he goes in where angels fear to tread. I like that in him.

“He’s still young and has a lot to learn but we like what we have seen from him.”

Alex Perry has also been on a steep learning curve since making his first loan move away from the Macron. The home-grown midfielder signed for Evo Stik Premier outfit Sutton Coldfield last week but saw the team go down to nine men on his debut against Stamford, eventually losing 3-0.

A midweek home game against Stourbridge also ended in a heavy defeat but Parkinson believes the experience will be important in his development.

“Alex needs to get into men’s football, he’s played too much in the Under-23s, for me,” he told The Bolton News.

“He needs to go out into the cut and thrust. He needs to show he has got what it takes to do all those horrible thing on a football pitch when the surfaces might not be great at that level.

“He has to show he can head the ball against physical players and close down people.

“We know he is a good footballer and he can definitely handle the ball, so this will be a really good part of his education.

“Me and David (Lee) have been speaking about it for a while, and now we’ve found him the opportunity we’ll be interested to see how he does for them.”