Why Bolton's former Peterborough United defender would love to put one over his old club

Ricardo Santos celebrates his one Posh goal, a match-wining effort at Doncaster, in 2016. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Former Peterborough United player Ricardo Santos insists he doesn’t bear grudges, but he’d love to put one over his old club in Saturday’s League One fixture at Bolton Wanderers.

The powerful 27 year-old centre-back played 75 times for Posh after the club plucked him from obscurity by signing him from Thurrock in January, 2014.

But it didn’t end well as, after he’d moved onto Barnet in 2017, he riled Posh first with his antics after helping the Bees to a shock EFL Cup win at London Road and then with some choice, ill-advised words critical of the club that gave him his chance in the Football League, on social media which irritated chairman Darragh MacAnthony and the rest of the club’s hierarchy.

Current boss Grant McCann was in his first spell as Posh manager when Santos was cut loose.

Sanotos told the Bolton News this week: “I always want to get one up on them. I want the win and hopefully I could get a goal, that would be even better.

“But, to be fair, I’m not really going into the game thinking about that. I’m just thinking about us, the team and trying to get three points.

“Peterborough are a good team. I played a lot of games for them. The first season I went there I probably made my debut in the last game of the season and then the season after that, I think I played about 60 games for them.

“It was just the new manager coming in, and rotations really and I was young at the time. I was on the bench and all I wanted to do was play. I had a chance to go on loan but it was my first time really being on the bench, so I really just wanted to get out and play football, so I went to Barnet.

“I’m a humble guy and football is all about opinions and if a manager does not want to play me, then I won’t sit and sulk or anything. I’ll just keep working hard, but nothing against any managers that want to change it. They’ve got to play what feels best at the time. I don’t really look much into that.

“I’ve played against Jonson Clarke-Harris before. He’s a big boy, he loves being physical, but he’s a goalscorer.

“Jack Marriott is lively as well, but like with any other striker in this league, you’ve got to just stay on your toes and just be ready for anything.”

Santos has become a top lower division defender at Bolton for whome h’s now made 100 appearances.