Jay Spearing Set for Bolton Move

After spending last season on loan, we knew there was very little chance Jay Spearing had much of a Liverpool future. A quintessential trier with a skill set that never quite seemed to match the positions in which he was placed, Spearing was simply not the type of midfielder that Brendan Rodgers wanted or needed moving forward. His effort and will to be successful en went unmatched, and that's likely how he'll be remember as Liverpool and Bolton have today agreed a deal for a permanent move to the club with which he earned Player of the Season honors in 2012-2013.

It's not done done just yet, with a medical still to be passed, but Spearing's always been a player who looked after himself and kept his fitness levels up, so I doubt there will be anything to keep the deal from going through. It is, by all accounts, a wonderful move for Spearing--he's well-liked by manager Dougie Freedman and the Bolton supporters, and should be an important part of a side that's yet again working towards promotion back to the Premier League after missing out on the Championship playoffs last season by just four points.

I think we're all guilty of patronizing Jay Spearing at some point over the past few seasons, a crime that will no doubt be widely committed now that he's found his level with Bolton in the Championship. And while that's true in many regards, he's also somebody who's been so endearing during his time with Liverpool that it almost feels disrespectful to spend too much time discussing his shortcomings.

So maybe he wasn't the most talented, and it's not as though he was going to be an integral part of the club's future given his fairly limited skillset. But it's worth remember the strong run of performances he had alongside Lucas in central midfield during the spring of 2011, when Liverpool were arguably on some of the best form they've had over the past few seasons. Attribute it to the world-class form of the Brazilian--and without him Spearing (or any other midfielder for that matter) wasn't the same--but for a stretch of time, he belonged, and I'd guess those few months were among the most meaningful in his career.

Best of luck to him at Bolton, hopefully his time there is successful for both him and the club.