FORMER REPUBLIC OF Ireland U21 international Ryan Delaney has left Bolton Wanderers “after both parties were unable to reach an agreement over a deal,” the newly promoted League One club have confirmed.
Defender Delaney, who represented his hometown club Wexford between 2014 and 2016 and also spent a double-winning season on loan with Cork City from Burton Albion in 2017, made 23 appearances for Bolton last season including 20 in League Two.
The 24-year-old’s agent, former Republic of Ireland senior international Stephen Hunt, appeared to be dissatisfied with the nature of his departure from Bolton, claiming manager Ian Evatt had gone “back on his word in January”.
After he saved managers job he went back on his word in January but good luck Ian in the future
— stephen hunt (@stephenhunt1010) June 8, 2021
Delaney was signed by Bolton’s former manager, Keith Hill, the previous winter and made a handful of appearances in League One before the season was cut short by the pandemic.
Despite being linked with a move away last summer, the Slaneysider fought his way into new manager Evatt’s starting lineup for the first half of the season and scored a crucial winner at Cheltenham in mid-December which saw Bolton bounce back from two straight defeats.
Ryan Delaney vs Cheltenham Town last night #bwfc pic.twitter.com/9XL5OzqDF9
— Marcus Harrison (@marcus_bwfc) December 16, 2020
However, Delaney scarcely featured in Evatt’s matchday squads in the latter half of the season following a red-card challenge at Tranmere Rovers in late January which cost him both a significant chunk of his ear — which was later repaired — and his place in the team, which was filled by Alex Baptiste.
Delaney represented Ireland U21s on five occasions between 2017 and 2018.
