Owen Coyle wants Daniel Sturridge to emulate former loanee Jack Wilshere and use Bolton to relaunch his career.
The talented 21-year-old signed for Chelsea 18 months ago from Manchester City after his contract expired.
But the form of senior strikers Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba, and now the arrival of Fernando Torres, has further limited his opportunities.
Sturridge has now returned to the North West on loan until the end of the season and Coyle believes regular football at Bolton will aide his development, just as it did for Arsenal midfielder Wilshere last season.
Delighted
Coyle said: “I’m absolutely delighted to bring Daniel to the football club until the end of the season.
“When we were made aware that there was a chance he’d be allowed out on loan then we certainly tried to do everything we could to convince him that this would be the best place for him.
“I think he’s such an exciting young talent who I believe will have a very positive impact, probably similar to the impact Jack Wilshere had last year, because I believe this is a player who is capable of playing in the Chelsea team, as Jack Wilshere was capable of playing in the Arsenal team.
“Sometimes at elite clubs there’s a tendency to maybe not quite be convinced because of their youth and everything else, so it gives Daniel the platform to go and show everybody what he has in his locker.
Abundance
“He has attributes in abundance and I’m very excited to see him in a Bolton shirt.”
Sturridge, for his part, needed little convincing to make the move in a bid resuscitate a career that has stagnated.
He said: “I’m really happy to come to the club. The manager wanted me to come here to play first-team football, and as soon as he said those words I was straight down the motorway.
“It was an easy decision for me because at Chelsea I wasn’t playing regularly.”
