Bristol City are on the verge of completing their third signing of the summer and none could be more important than the arrival of Kane Wilson.
Manager Nigel Pearson looks to have finally solved the positional issue that continued to hamper their season and progress last season at right wing-back and Wilson will arrive at BS3 with his sights firmly secured on being a first-team regular in City's quest to propel themselves higher up the league
The Robins have beaten off a host of competition across the Championship to land Wilson and there is already a weight of expectation on his shoulders to replicate the form he showed last season that saw him crowned League Two's Player of the Season.
With Kal Naismith and Mark Sykes already through the door, City's squad is already starting to take shape and Wilson's addition will hand Pearson with more flexibility to play either with a back three or four and give Alex Scott the freedom of playing in his favoured midfield position.
Wilson boasts plenty of attacking qualities having secured 13 assists to his name last season, and will undoubtedly give City more of a threat down that right flank but what other attributes can supporters expect from Wilson?
We spoke to Gloucester Live's former Forest Green Rovers reporter Laurie Martin to give us the lowdown on the 22-year-old....
What type of player are Bristol City signing?
Bristol City are signing a skilful and silky wing-back, who was one of the best players below the Championship last season. After what was arguably an underwhelming first season in a Forest Green shirt, not helped by a couple of injury problems, Wilson ripped League Two to shreds last season, blossoming in a wing-back role in a free-flowing, attacking system.
Technically, Wilson is outstanding, and last season he’d often bring out moments of magic that were well above League Two level that would get supporters off their seats. Rovers did well to keep hold of him in January.
Non-strikers don’t often win individual accolades, but the fact Wilson won the League Two Player of the Season award emphasises the devastating impact he had on the division. City fans should be very excited about his arrival.
Would you have expected Kane Wilson to sign for a so-called 'bigger side' in the division after his award-winning season?
Not particularly. He’s been linked with Watford, with the obvious link there being to his old boss Rob Edwards, who played an integral role in getting the very best out of him, but if he had gone to Vicarage Road, he would have had the pressure of playing for a team who are expected to win automatic promotion.
There will be less pressure on him playing for a side who don’t have such lofty ambitions. Bristol City seems like a good place for him to develop given the young squad Nigel Pearson is building, and the attacking football they played last season. Wilson wants to attack – so that will suit him.
He played the majority of matches as a wing-back last season, can he also play as a right-back if Pearson opts to switch to a back four?
He can, but it’s important that Wilson has freedom in whatever system City choose to play. Ultimately, his best attributes are attacking ones – so he has to have some sort of freedom and licence to get forward.
Forest Green exclusively played in a 3-4-1-2 formation last season, and the system was built around getting the best out of him, and his wing-back partner Nicky Cadden, in attacking situations. Edwards didn’t want Wilson or Cadden to do much defending – because they’re so much more effective going the other way.
Before he arrived at Forest Green, Wilson had played as a full-back during his loan spells at Exeter, Walsall and Tranmere, so he has plenty of experience playing there. His transition to a marauding wing-back only really happened last season, but there’s no doubt that’s where he’s best suited.
A lot of talk about his offensive qualities with 13 assists, but how does he fare defensively?
Whilst Wilson’s main strengths come when he’s on the ball, Wilson is pretty solid defensively, although he didn’t have too many defensive responsibilities last season at Forest Green. He possesses good pace and he’s powerful in the air for a man who stands at 5’10”. I don’t look at Wilson and think ‘he’s a poor defender’, he just much prefers the attacking side of the game, just like most modern day wing-backs.
What are his strengths?
Wilson is a dazzling dribbler. He is comfortable driving inside with the ball (as seen with his brilliant solo goal against Salford in October), and he can also take on multiple players down the outside. He is incredibly skilful and sometimes I’d spend games last season just recording his nutmegs. For those who have watched the film ‘There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble,’ it was like that.
There just seemed to be some sort of magic in Wilson’s feet. Attacking wise, his performances against Harrogate (4-1 win) and Oldham (5-5 draw) last December were two of the best individual performances I’ve seen from a Rovers player. He made those pitches his dancefloor.
Wilson is also a great crosser, and he can vary his type of delivery, with low driven crosses, whipped balls and floated crosses towards the back post very much in his repertoire. He certainly benefitted last season from having two poachers in the box every time he got on the ball in a good area. He had a target man in Jamille Matt, and a nippy forward in Matty Stevens to aim for in the box.
Perhaps an underrated strength of Wilson’s last season was his constant availability. He struggled with injuries in his first season with Forest Green, and during his loan spell at Tranmere, but he started 45 of Rovers’ 46 league games last term.
And his weaknesses?
Wilson could perhaps be guilty of overplaying. He performs skills in potentially dangerous areas, the type of thing he could get away with in League Two, but perhaps not in the Championship.
Are you confident he can make a seamless transition from League Two to the Championship?
Wilson is more than capable of making the transition. The fact that a host of Championship sides were reportedly interested in his services shows that City aren’t alone in believing he can manage the step up. It’s a sizeable jump, but Wilson has proven himself at League Two level, and his season was that good, that he deserves the opportunity to skip out League One.
How do you assess his character, is he a player that will give it his all every game?
Yes, absolutely. Having been released by West Brom in 2020, Wilson has had to work hard to climb back up the divisions. Wilson is mature beyond his years. He doesn’t have the arrogance that some players who were at Premier League academies might have – he’s one of the most grounded, humble and down-to-earth individuals you’ll ever meet.
Even after winning promotion and the League Two Player of the Season award, Wilson still gave his all and was influential in the 2-2 draw at Mansfield on the final day of the season. There is no sign of ego with Wilson – he just loves football, and that shows in the way he plays the game.
A lot of City fans are understandably excited about his arrival and he'll arrive with a weight of expectation on his shoulders - do you think supporters need to manage their expectations early on or do you expect Wilson to hit the ground running?
He’s certainly capable of hitting the ground running, but it’s important to remember that he is a 22-year-old who has been playing in League Two. City fans should be excited, because they’re picking up one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the Football League, whilst acknowledging that it is a big jump for Wilson, and he made need some time to adapt to the level.
It’s impossible to know how he’ll take to Championship football. In the past, some Forest Green players have made the jump to the second tier and really struggled, and some have thrived after taking the leap. Wilson certainly has the attitude and technical ability to flourish, and I’d back him to do so. At 22, he won’t stop here. Wilson will want to continue his upwards trajectory, and a Premier League move in the future certainly isn’t out of the question.
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