Former England golden boy now regularly playing at 15th club - and still only 31

21 March 2023 , 12:48

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John Bostock was once a generational talent in the English system (Image: Getty Images)

During John Bostock's early teens it wasn't a case of choosing his GCSE options, but which of Europe's elite football clubs he fancied joining.

The teenager starlet was hailed as a generational talent when he came through the ranks at Crystal Palace, before making his first-team debut at 15. He couldn't even get changed with his Eagles team-mates on the night of his first appearance, such was his tender age.

Soon, the clamour for his signature led to what Palace chairman at the time Simon Jordan claimed to be a "litany of lies", with Tottenham winning the race for Bostock's signature. They paid less than £1m up front for the teenager, which Jordan said was the equivalent of "a packet of crisps".

Bostock had been a regular in England's youth grades, playing up until U19s. He would make 25 appearances for the Three Lions at U17 level, many of those as captain.

He was once Tottenham's youngest ever player as well as Palace's, but that is where the meteoric rise seemed to stagnate. And so began one of the great nomadic careers of a player who once received a signed poster from Ronaldinho, such was Barcelona's desire to sign him.

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More than a decade on though and he's now onto his 15th club with the player struggling to truly settle at any of the clubs he's joined. The likes of Nicolas Anelka were considered well-travelled during their careers, but he only played for 13 teams, whilst Bostock still has time to make more switches.

His first outing for the north Londoners came in the UEFA Cup against Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, but he would struggle to nail down a first-team spot which would allow doubts to creep in. He told BBC Sport : "Before you know it you start questioning 'well am I really that good? Am I really that amazing a player?'"

Tottenham won the race for John Bostock's signature as a teenager (Getty Images)

Soon he became a serially loaned out player, often to the lower ebbs of the football league pyramid. It started with a spell at Brentford in League One, then Hull in the Championship. Soon he was playing in the fourth tier of English football with Swindon, whom he would have two loan spells with. His final temporary move away from Tottenham was to the MLS with Toronto FC.

Then soon enough, five years after his switch from Palace to north London had caused quite the stir, he was released by Tottenham and moved to the second tier of Belgian football with Royal Antwerp. It was in Belgium that he begun to rediscover his mojo.

With Antwerp he became a fan favourite, often contributing in the final third, albeit the side missed out on promotion. His performances caught the attention of OH Leuven, who had been relegated from the top tier, but would secure a route back at the first attempt - with Bostock being named the Proximus Player of the Season.

John Bostock enjoy a renaissance whilst in France with Lens (Icon Sport via Getty Images)

In 2016 he would joins Lens, then playing in Ligue 2, and be named the division's Player of the Season in his second term, an award previously won by Olivier Giroud. A short-lived switch to Turkey followed before he headed back to France with Toulouse.

Bostock would eventually return to England in 2019 as he joined Nottingham Forest on loan. Whilst at the City Ground he would make just nine appearances in all competitions as the club narrowly missed out on the play-offs following a late season dip in form.

The well-travelled star remained in England with Doncaster Rovers, where he spent two seasons. The first saw them finish in mid-table before they were relegated the following year. Bostock rejected a new deal, citing his belief that he could play at a higher level than League Two.

The player chose to leave Doncaster as he didn't want to play in League Two - but has ended up in the National League

John Bostock is now plying his trade for Notts County (TOM SANDBERG/PPAUK/REX/Shutterstock)

Doncaster chief James Coppinger said: “He feels he can play at a higher level and doesn’t want to step into League Two which we respect, and wish him all the best from the club’s perspective."

Bostock's ambition was admirable, but he would end up bypassing League Two, albeit in the wrong direction, and gracing non-league for the first time. Back in December he joined Notts County, who are fighting with Wrexham for the National League title currently, after a two-week trial with the club.

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The 31-year-old has said on his drop down the leagues: "I know other clubs have their way of doing things, but being a part of this for the last few months has been a huge eye-opener for me - and when I first came I was a bit apprehensive about stepping out of the league because everyone wants to be in the league, but just training here and being a part of it quickly silenced my doubts."

Notts County have already amassed more than 90 points and could set a record for a team not to gain promotion. "This is not your normal National League season," Bostock said recently. "But I wouldn't say this is your normal National League club." Bostock has played 17 times this season for the Meadow Lane outfit, albeit he is yet to score for his new club.

Samuel Meade