ANDY King is confident he’s finally landed his man after a face-to-face meeting with Ricky Shakes.
The pair shook hands after a discussion at the Australia versus New Zealand friendly at Craven Cottage last week and King is looking forward to starting work with the player.
Shakes has just flown off to the Caribbean to join a Trinidad & Tobago training camp, but King fully expects the 20-year-old to jet into Wanborough for pre-season training on July 1 the date when his current deal with Premiership side Bolton expires.
King said: “I have met the boy and we shook hands after our chat. I don’t know what you’d call it, a gentlemen’s agreement or whatever.
“In my mind I’d like to think that I’ve finalised that one.”
King feels Shakes will bring something new to the Town party.
He said: “He has that pace and width on the right although he tells me he can also play in a more central role.”
Shakes, who began life as a trainee at Charlton Athletic before joining Bolton , is also capable of playing in attack.
He was originally signed by Bolton as a striker.
King said: “It may be that the boy can give Sam Parkin, Rory Fallon and Christian Roberts an extra push.”
League Two outfit Bury, where Shakes spent part of last season on loan, were also desperate to sign the player but King appears to have finally come out on top.
Shakes may not be the only former Bolton boy on the books next season with central defender Charlie Comyn-Platt also expected to be heading for Wiltshire in July.