IN FOOTBALL terms, Matt Jansen knows that he could be drinking in the last-chance saloon, in which case he may feel that he is in good company at Bolton Wanderers. Not many of his new team-mates can match his tale of woe over the past 3½ years, but Kevin Davies and others will tell him that if anyone can restore his self-belief and make the best of his talent, it is Sam Allardyce.
The former Blackburn Rovers forward has endured a wretched time since the summer of 2002, when, having narrowly missed out on a place in England’s World Cup squad, he went on holiday to Rome and suffered horrific head injuries in a motorcycle accident. He admits to having doubted whether he would recover his form and to having consulted psychologists and psychiatrists to regain his confidence.
“The last two or three years have been difficult for me and I’ve been in a rut,” the 28-year-old, who made a 12-minute debut against Blackburn on Saturday, said. “This is maybe my last chance to try and rediscover what I was like before the accident and I’ll give it 100 per cent. Sam has a habit of getting the best out of players who have lost their way.”
Jansen would be forgiven for being bitter about his experience at Ewood Park, where he was caught up in a vicious circle, lacking match fitness and not sharp enough to be given the opportunity to regain it, but his treatment has made him philosophical about the matter.
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“I was questioning myself and wondering what was wrong with me because I felt I was doing OK, so I started doubting my ability,” he said. “I went to see a clinical psychiatrist and everything has been addressed. Hopefully, I can now rediscover that form.”