We have completed the signing of cultured midfielder John Bostock on an 18-month contract.
Bostock, 30, has represented the likes of Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and Toulouse in a fascinating career to date.
He has been training regularly with the club in recent weeks and we are pleased to have this morning reached an agreement which will see him take squad number 24.
Head coach Luke Williams said: “The opportunity for John to come and train with us was a pleasant surprise to say the least and, very quickly, you could see he has the physique and quality of a top player.
“He’s powerful, very strong when he needs to protect the ball and can move freely. He doesn’t need backlift – he pushes the ball around very cleanly.
“What you don’t notice until a little later, however, is that he has the mentality of a top player as well. He’s very bright and his attitude is superb.
“I feel really strongly that John will add value – not only as a player, but as a man. He’s gone full circle in football, experiencing really high moments but also probably some low and disillusioned periods, with lots of success woven in.
“He’s bounced back from every difficult period he’s faced and is going to be able to give some really valuable help and advice to the players around him. He’s someone you can’t fail to respect.”
Over the course of his career Bostock has developed a reputation as a highly technical midfielder – with the added bonus of him being left-footed.
Williams said: “We’re not blessed with too many left-sided players, so I think John brings some nice balance to us in the middle of the pitch.
“Those who watch us regularly will know we have a lot of actions down the right-hand side – and I think one of the reasons for that is because our right-footed players are more comfortable playing passes into that channel.
“Adam Chicksen probably doesn’t get as many openings because of that, but someone like John should help open up the pitch even more.
“He has a terrific range of passing and, although we don’t go long too often, he certainly has the ability to play the big diagonals – similarly to Aden Baldwin, who offers us a different dimension with his distribution.
“He can also find passes through tight areas, which is often what we need because teams are very conscious to defend well against us.”
Bostock is also well-known for his set-piece delivery and, while we predominantly play short in those situations, Williams believes it will still be a valuable trait.
He said: “In reality, what we’re seeing is a rolling set-piece. It’s harder to strike a stationary ball than a moving one, so what we try to do is work opportunities for our players to use the ball’s momentum to generate curl and power.
“John is one of a number of players who will be able to hit balls into dangerous areas with pace, power and whip – and with him being left-footed he’ll be able to help the likes of Kyle Cameron and Adam deliver from that side of the pitch in open play.”
While being aware of his qualities, Williams doesn’t have a set role in mind for his new recruit.
He said: “We’ve used numerous central midfield systems this season and feel John has a lot to offer in several roles, as is the case with all our midfield players.
“We’re looking forward to working with him in the coming weeks to see more of his characteristics and identify the many different ways he’ll be able to help the team.
“We need to take a closer look at where he is physically and choose the right time to involve him. He’s a very good player, but we have to look after him in the correct way and monitor his progress as he gets up to full speed.”
Williams believes the squad deserves credit for convincing Bostock that this was an environment he could thrive in.
He said: “I think John could see from being around the lads that it’s an ambitious group that works very hard and plays the game in an enjoyable way.
“John looked like he was in an environment which suited him and for a player of his quality to fit in so well with the group is testament to the individuals we have here.”
More on Bostock
Born in south London, Bostock signed for Crystal Palace aged five and went on to earn ‘wonderkid’ status thanks to his performances at club and international level.
By the age of 14 he was being monitored by the biggest clubs in Europe, with Barcelona offering him a 10-year contract, only for him to continue at Palace.
He was rewarded with the opportunity to become the Eagles’ youngest ever player when he was selected for their FA Cup match against Watford aged 15, before following up with four Championship appearances that season.
A high-profile move to Tottenham Hotspur was to follow but, despite also becoming Spurs’ youngest ever player when he made his debut in the Uefa Cup aged 16, the move didn’t work out and, following loans in the EFL and MLS, he departed White Hart Lane.
Belgium was his next destination and, after becoming a fans’ favourite at Royal Antwerp, Bostock won the second tier’s Player of the Season award when he helped fire OH Leuven to promotion with 13 goals and 19 assists.
His success earned him moves to Lens, where he won the French second tier’s Player of the Season award, and then to Bursaspor and Toulouse in Turkey and France’s top tiers.
From there he returned to England with a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, before signing for Doncaster during the 2020-21 campaign. He impressed despite Rovers’ relegation from League One last season and decided to turn down their offer of a new deal, paving the way for him to join us on a free transfer.