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Gavin McCann
Date of Birth: 10 01 1978
Place of Birth: Blackpool
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: England
International Caps 1
International Goals 0
Gavin McCann Rumours and Transfers 15 08 2007 Bolton had taken the lead however then slipped to defeat at Fulham to leave new manager Sammy Lee still searching for his 1st Premier League point.
Alexey Smertin's heavily-deflected 1st half strike finished up deciding an entertaining encounter after David Healy had cancelled out ex Fulham forward Heidur Helguson's opener.
The rain that fell in torrents on the Craven Cottage pitch was merely typical of this sodden summer however it meant anything would happen as far as the 22 players were concerned.
Helguson was a central character in the 1st 2 goals, marking his 1st Bolton start in the absence of the injured Kevin Davies with an opener that is bound to be featured in future compilations of goalkeeping howlers.
Tony Warner had performed admirably at Arsenal on Saturday after 1st choice Antti Niemi was injured in the warm up however was hugely at fault as he somehow dropped a ball into Helguson's path in the 13th minute.
A bump against the huge frame of Zat Knight following Nicky Hunt's huge throw had occurred however still his slip appeared to be completely avoidable.
Helguson, who cost the Trotters £2.1 million, then helped his old club equalise and again it was from a long throw.
Knight was also involved again, heading the ball into the air, and when Helguson tried to nod away he succeeded only in clashing with Abdoulaye Meite and diverting the ball towards his own goal.
Healy was on it in a flash, controlling, turning and firing past Jussi Jaaskelainen in an instant to add to his opening day strike at Arsenal, which had also been a gift from a goalkeeper.
Jaaskelainen was given no chance 3 minutes later when Smertin tried his luck from outside the box and saw his drive veer off Gerald Cid and into the far corner of the net.
But fortune did favour the Finn only before the break when he opted to bounce rather than grab a ball to the very edge of his box.
Brian McBride challenged and came away with the ball only for referee Lee Probert to award a free kick to Bolton.
The 1st half had also featured a booking for dissent for Bolton's recalled El-Hadji Diouf, who was sent off in this fixture 2 seasons ago.
Diouf also showed what he can do with the ball straight after the restart when he whipped in a cross from the left that Nolan somehow put wide at the back post.
Warner then redeemed himself for his earlier error by pulling off an acrobatic tip round to deny Nicolas Anelka, who was teed up for a curling effort inside the box by Cid, who stayed up to plant a free header wide.
Diouf then sent an angled effort only wide and Anelka, who was quiet for a while, saw Chris Baird throw himself in the way of a drive before Helguson was replaced by debutant Daniel Braaten with 18 minutes remaining.
Paul Konchesky was booked for upending Diouf with Gavin McCann heading wide from the resulting free-kick. McCann was immediately replaced by Mikel Alonso, brother of Liverpool's Xabi.
Fulham also made late changes with Diomansy Kamara and Clint Dempsey replacing Healy and Hameur Bouazza and Kamara was convinced he should were given a penalty when sandwiched between Cid and Hunt in the box. Referee Probert thought otherwise however.
Bolton threw men forward as the minutes ticked away, that included Jaaskelainen in stoppage time, however Fulham held on to get their season off to a winning start at the 2nd attempt.
03 08 2007 Bolton manager Sammy Lee has completed the signing of winger Daniel Braaten from Rosenborg for an undisclosed fee.
Braaten, 25, has sealed a 3 year deal at the Reebok Stadium, subject to international clearance.
Lee said, 'Daniel is another quality signing. I am delighted he has chosen Bolton ahead of other clubs.'
Braaten has Champions League experience and Lee thinks the Norwegian will bring an extra dimension to the team.
'He is a powerful winger who can play on both flanks,' mentioned the Bolton boss.
'Daniel is very direct and likes to take on defenders. He will complement the team and provide excellent service to the forward line.'
Lee has made a raft of new transfers since replacing Sam Allardyce towards the end of last season.
The former Liverpool coach was mindful of the need to strengthen the team with a busy domestic and UEFA Cup campaign ahead.
Former Villa duo Jloyd Samuel and Gavin McCann join up. So to have Christian Wilhelmsson and Heidar Helguson.
Bolton, who open their season with a home game against Allardyce's Newcastle, continue their preparations by facing Colchester tomorrow when Lee will name a strong team.
20 07 2007 Bolton manager Sammy Lee says that he could be willing to allow player forward Nicolas Anelka leave for a Champions League club.
Speculation has surrounded the much-travelled French forward all summer, with Saturday's Peace Cup final opponents Lyon and former club Arsenal both heavily linked with a probable transfer.
Both clubs will probably feature in Europe's number one competition next season and therefore could be among those Lee could be willing to deal with, providing the terms were right for Bolton.
"I must be fair to the boy," mentioned Lee. "He is 29 and he has informed me he would like Champions League football. So would I, and I would like us both to achieve that here at Bolton. But, if one of the top 4 in England, or a Champions League club in another country, showed an interest in him, and he would like to go, it could be remiss of me to stand in his way."
Anelka has only been with Bolton for a single season however has quickly become a crowd favourite, finishing top scorer with 11 goals last term.
Understandably, Lee is unequivocal in his wish for Anelka to stay, insisting, "You do not must be a Philadelphia lawyer to work that out. I would like people with quality and, undoubtedly, Nicolas has quality. I am not in the business of getting rid of our best players however I must be fair to everybody. If the deal was fair to all parties, I would not stop him."
After succeeding long-serving Sam Allardyce 2 games from the end of last season, Lee was quick to make his mark.
New arrivals Gavin McCann and Jlloyd Samuel will be joined by Fulham's Heidar Helguson when Bolton head back from their 2 week expedition in Korea.
Lee thinks Helguson can provide Bolton with added firepower ahead of a packed campaign, which also features a UEFA Cup campaign.
More new arrivals will follow too ahead of the Premier League opener with Allardyce's Newcastle on August 11.
Most pundits are pessimistic about Bolton's chances of maintaining their established position in the top 8 now Allardyce has called time on his decade long stint at the club.
But, only like Allardyce, Lee is intensely ambitious, and thinks the top 4 is not beyond Bolton's capabilities.
"Some people could view it as an unrealistic ambition however the higher you aim, the more you can attain," he said.
"I certainly think taking Bolton into the Champions League is probable and that is what we will be going for."
20 07 2007 Bolton have agreed an undisclosed fee with Fulham to bring forward Heidar Helguson to the Reebok Stadium.
The 29 year old Icelandic international has passed a medical and is poised to sign a 3 year contract.
"I like Helguson a lot," Bolton manager Sammy Lee informed the club website. "He has a good work ethic and understands the demands of the Premier League. I have always been an admirer of his attitude to the game and his ability to score goals at vital times."
Helguson had also been linked with a move back to former club Watford, as well as West Bromwich Albion and Charlton.
Fulham signed the forward from Vicarage Road for a £1.3 million fee in 2005 however he was unable to win a regular 1st team place.
He made 57 appearances, scoring 12 goals.
Helguson brings Lee's summer transfers to 3 following the arrival of Gavin McCann and Jlloyd Samuel.
But Lee said, "We have not finished adding to the team yet. You must be looking to improve things on a daily basis and I feel we are still one or 2 components missing. Hopefully we will find them before the starting of the season."
04 07 2007 Villa have agreed a fee of £8.5 million with fellow Premier League side The Hammers for midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker.
The 23 year old has yet to agree personal terms and have a medical, however the Hammers website state the move expects to be completed in 24 hours.
He joined the Hammers from MK Dons in January 2004 and made 142 league and cup appearances for the club, scoring 11 goals.
Reo-Coker will be manager Martin O'Neill's 1st signing of the summer.
Villa had tested the Hammers with a £7 million bid for the England U21 captain however the London club were mentioned to be holding out for a fee nearer the £10 million mark.
Reo-Coker handed in a transfer request to The Hammers at the end of last season.
The midfielder, who played at the 2007 European U21 Championship, cost The Hammers £500,000 when he moved from Wimbledon in 2004.
Last season, some supporters and critics blamed Reo-Coker for the Hammers' slump.
The club were in the bottom 3 for much of the campaign and then narrowly avoid relegation.
Reo-Coker's addition will come at a welcome time for O'Neill, who is presently light in midfield, with Gavin McCann having moved to Bolton and Steven Davis set to join Fulham.
03 07 2007 Villa have not yet come to an agreement concerning the fee for The Hammers midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, as stated by the player's agent.
Earlier reports suggested that Villa's bid was had taken and that the 23 year old had undergone a medical.
But Reo-Coker's agent Tony Finnegan informed BBC London 94.9, "Where we are at now is that we are waiting for the 2 clubs to agree a price. There was no medical. The lad is been waiting to go on holiday."
He added, "We thought there could were a deal last week. Everybody knows Villa are interested in the lad. We are only waiting to get the agreement between the 2 clubs."
Villa had tested the Hammers with a £7 million bid for the England U21 captain however the London club were mentioned to be holding out for a fee nearer the £10 million mark.
Reo-Coker handed in a transfer request to The Hammers at the end of last season.
The midfielder, who played at the 2007 European U21 Championship, cost The Hammers £500,000 when he moved from Wimbledon in 2004.
Last season, some supporters and critics blamed Reo-Coker for the Hammers' slump, that saw them in the bottom 3 for much of the season and then narrowly avoid relegation.
Reo-Coker's addition will come at a welcome time for Villa manager Martin O'Neill who is presently light in midfield with Gavin McCann having moved to Bolton and Steven Davis set to join Fulham.
21 06 2007 Liverpool midfielder Danny Guthrie has agreed to join Premier League rivals Bolton on a season long loan deal.
The 20 year old, who came through the ranks at Anfield, will have completed the paperwork on the deal when he returns from his summer holiday.
"Danny is a dynamic midfielder who is very comfortable on the ball," mentioned Bolton manager Sammy Lee.
"He has a terrific work-ethic and has got a good engine. He is a good passer and will suit our type of football."
Shrewsbury born Guthrie spent part of last season on loan at Southampton and also made 3 substitute appearances for Liverpool.
Guthrie will join Jlloyd Samuel, Gavin McCann, Blerim Dzemaili, Gerald Cid and Zoltan Harsanyi as new arrivals at the club.
09 06 2007 Villa manager Martin O'Neill is supposedly tracking Hamburg's Holland international midfielder Nigel de Jong.
His club Hamburg are keen to offload De Jong, their highest wage earner at around £40,000 a week, after a disappointing season in the Bundesliga which saw them miss out on a Champions League spot.
The 22 year old joined Hamburg from Ajax for £700,000 18 months ago.
Hamburg sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer said, "We have heard rumours of interest from Villa however at the moment there is no news."
O'Neill is looking to strengthen in the centre of the park after selling Gavin McCann to Bolton.
He is still hoping to bring in West Ham's Nigel Reo-Coker even though must wait until the player returns from the European U21 Championships.
And O'Neill maintains an interest in Ajax's Wesley Sneijder even though they face strong competition from Tottenham.
08 06 2007 Villa look like having to wait until after the UEFA U21 Championships to have completed the signing of Nigel Reo-Coker from West Ham.
Reo-Coker has arrived in Holland with his international team mates however his £7 million move away from Upton Park still to be resolved.
Villa have made clear to Hammers officials that they are willing to offer something like the asking fee to land the services of the want-away Reo-Coker even though it has transpired no formal bid was registered.
But Villa manager Martin O'Neill is probably going to have to wait until at least after England's final group game with Serbia on June 17 before he can complete what he expects will be the formalities of the transfer.
Given the mix up over Villa player Gabriel Agbonlahor's availability for the U21 squad, coach Stuart Pearce is unlikely to be in any mood to allow his captain Reo-Coker to become involved in transfer negotiations whilst England remain in the tournament.
Reo-Coker, who joined The Hammers from Wimbledon for £500,000 2 and a half years ago, has made it clear that is also where his immediate priorities lie.
He said; 'I see myself as a professional and I have got my professional hat on and right now it is all about England U21s and the European Championships.'
Reo-Coker will join up with 2 of his possible Villa team mates of the future in Ashley Young and Gary Cahill if the deal gets the green light.
He is poised to replace Gavin McCann whose £1 million plus move from Villa to Bolton is poised to go through subject to him passing a medical.
08 06 2007 Villa midfielder Gavin McCann will complete a £1 million transfer to Bolton if he passes a medical.
The 29 year old will become the 2nd Villa player to sign for new Bolton manager Sammy Lee after Jloyd Samuel moved on a free transfer.
McCann, who joined Villa from Sunderland in the summer of 2003, has agreed a 3 year deal.
Bolton manager Lee said, "I would like to bring in quality transfers and Gavin has quality in abundance."
Lee added, "Gavin is an experienced campaigner who knows the Premier League inside out. He has all the attributes you requirement for the modern game, a good passing range, excellent touch on the ball and optimum energy levels to cope with the rigours of the domestic game and our European campaign. It will be a demanding campaign with the Uefa Cup and we need to have the right quality required to make a real 1st of every competition we enter. My philosophy is to create a culture where all players are fighting for their places. Competition for places across the team is my objective, which will create a healthy environment going into the new campaign."
The former Everton and England star's opportunities at Villa could have become more limited with the expects arrival of The Hammers's Nigel Reo-Coker.
McCann has also indicated he is keen to make a return to the north west, and he still has a house in that area.
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