Bolton Wanderers have added another experienced Championship forward to their ranks, completing the season-long loan signing of Ryan Hardie from Wrexham.

The 29-year-old will spend the remainder of the campaign with Steven Schumacher’s side after finding opportunities difficult to come by at Wrexham. Hardie joined the Welsh club from Plymouth Argyle last summer but made only 10 appearances in all competitions before spending the second half of last season on loan with Huddersfield Town.

His latest move brings a reunion with Schumacher, under whom Hardie enjoyed arguably the most successful spell of his career. The pair were together at Plymouth as Argyle won the League One title in 2022/23, with Hardie establishing himself as a regular source of goals during his time at Home Park. He eventually scored 74 times across his loan and permanent spells with the Devon club, including 22 league goals across his final two Championship campaigns there.

Ryan Hardie Recent Record

Hardie’s recent record is less convincing. His first season with Wrexham never really got going, with just one goal from 10 appearances across all competitions before he moved to Huddersfield. There were further fitness concerns during the summer when injury kept him out of Wrexham’s pre-season trip to the United States, meaning Bolton are bringing in a player who may need managing carefully in the opening weeks of his loan.

There is, however, plenty of evidence that Hardie can score goals at Championship level. He hit 12 league goals for Plymouth in 2023/24 and another 10 the following season, while his wider career shows a forward who has generally been at his best when given continuity and a manager prepared to put faith in him. Schumacher certainly knows how to use him, which probably explains why Bolton were willing to overlook the more difficult 12 months he has just endured.

That makes this a curious signing rather than necessarily a bad one. At first glance, a striker who struggled for football at Wrexham and has recently had injury problems does not scream statement signing for a newly-promoted Championship side. If Hardie is being recruited as the main answer to Bolton’s attacking needs, there is legitimate reason to question whether they have aimed high enough.

As part of a deeper attacking group, though, it begins to make considerably more sense. Hardie has already proved he can reach double figures at this level, he understands Schumacher’s demands and there should be very little adaptation required tactically. The concern is fitness rather than ability, and if Bolton can keep him available, his Championship record suggests there is still a useful player there.

It is not the sort of signing that immediately changes expectations around Bolton, and another forward would make their options look considerably stronger. However, writing Hardie off because of one difficult season would ignore what he achieved at Plymouth. Schumacher has already extracted goals from him once before, and Bolton are gambling that familiarity can help him rediscover them again.