Kevin Nolan was perhaps the budget Frank Lampard for a number of years in the Premier League. Not the most technically gifted but Nolan developed a knack of arriving late into the box and getting himself a goal.

Nolan was a key part of Sam Allardyce’s Bolton side which always gives Premier League fans a feeling of nostalgia. The team that thrived off a battle with anyone with sprinklings of genuine top quality throughout the side, as shown by the side’s 2-2 draw away at German champions Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup in the 2006/07 season. Nolan became synonymous with Allardyce and was also a key component of Allardyce’s Bolton side, before eventually reuniting with Big Sam at West Ham. However, on the pitch he is perhaps best known for his partnership with Andy Carroll. At both Newcastle and West Ham the Nolan and Carroll double act linked up successfully on numerous occasions with Nolan often the beneficiary of the big man’s knock downs.

Kevin Nolan dropped down to the Championship twice in his career, first after being relegated with Newcastle in 2009 and secondly after joining West Ham shortly after they dropped down to the Championship in 2011. However, he helped his side to an instant return to the Premier League on both occasions. The unconventional, workmanlike attacking midfielder would finish his Premier League career in 2015 having amassed 401 league appearances. He scored 69 goals in that time and registered 26 assists and hit double figures twice in the Premier League. From a decade at Bolton to spells with Newcastle and West Ham, Nolan always knew where the net was but never shirked the physical side of the game; an endearing quality to English football fans.