IN signing Barbadian winger Thierry Gale, Wanderers have taken advantage of a change in Football Association rules on which non-UK players can transfer and play for clubs in England.
After Brexit, the FA adopted new guidelines which enabled them to grant a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE), allowing high-level footballers based outside the UK to play in this country.
Qualification for a GBE is based on a points system. For example, if you play for a top 10 nation and have played more than 70 per cent of the minutes for your national team, you get an automatic pass.
The same goes for a players from a club which participates in one of the top qualifying leagues, such as Bundesliga or La Liga. Where they achieve enough points to qualify for the GBE.
A year ago, the FA introduced the Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) route, which enables clubs who may not be at a level to attract or afford players who automatically qualify for GBE to sign non-UK talent.
In the Championship, clubs are allowed to bring in four players using an ESC slot, and in Leagues One and Two, clubs can bring in two.
Last season, Wanderers used one of their slots, bringing Hungarian wing-back Szabolcs Schön from Fehérvár. The plan had been to bring in Norwegian midfielder Jonas Therleksen but Ian Evatt left the club before the deal could be struck.
The signing of Gale does NOT mean, however, that both of Bolton’s ESC slots have been taken.
There is an option, after 12 months, to complete what is termed an ESC transition – which effectively assesses whether the player has been a success, or not, since arriving in the country.
Schön played in 67 per cent of the total available league minutes for Wanderers last season, so was able to apply to transition to a ‘full’ GBE and no longer count against the quota.
Though the wing-back was called up by Hungary on a few occasions, he did not play enough to fulfil the criteria via international football.
He also missed a few games through injury and had Schön been ‘borderline’ on the calculation, Wanderers would have been able to plead their case to have those matches removed.
Three weeks ago, Schön was granted a full GBE, which means he no longer takes up one of the ESC slots.
Gale will take an ESC slot, and the other one looks very likely to go to Jesper Ceesay, the midfielder who is close to agreeing a move from IFK Norrkoping.
Schön is currently on a year-by-year visa, which is reviewed on an annual basis, because he was signed from a non-English speaking country – i.e. Hungary. He must continue to meet the criteria for him to keep the full GBE.
Gale is a slightly different proposition as he comes from an English-speaking island, Barbados, and qualifies for a three-year visa. If he is also successful in transitioning to a full GBE next year, then he would not need to re-apply for a further two years.
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