Bolton Wanderers fans must still be surprised at Chelsea evolution of £24m man | OneFootball

Spanish defender Marcos Alonso spent a forgettable three seasons with Bolton Wanderers between 2010-2013

Marcos Alonso joined Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 2010 from Spanish giants Real Madrid, and would spend three years in Greater Manchester before becoming one of the best goalscoring defenders in the Premier League for Chelsea years later.

Spanish defender Alonso is best known for his time with Chelsea, where, under Antonio Conte, he announced himself as one of the most efficient wing-backs in the league, with his performances down the left flank engraved into Blues folklore.

But what people may forget is that his time at Chelsea wasn't his first experience in top-flight English football. In fact, it wasn't even his second.

Having come through the ranks at Real Madrid, Alonso made one senior appearance for Los Blancos' first team as a 90th-minute substitute in April 2010, before a surprise move to England awaited.

At just 19 years old, Alonso switched the Spanish capital for Greater Manchester in July 2010, joining Bolton on a three-year deal, with then-manager Owen Coyle delighted to have secured the signing of the teenager, having beaten Portuguese giants Benfica to his signature.

Upon his arrival, Coyle said, via the BBC: "He is an exciting young player and we have a real talent on our hands.

"He isn't the finished article, but you don't get through at Real Madrid without having a bit about you.

"It's a terrific piece of business to pull this off."

It was a statement of intent from Bolton at the time, who had finished 14th in the top flight the season prior, and brought in Alonso to compete with Paul Robinson, but he didn't exactly hit the ground running.

Marcos Alonso initially struggled for game at Bolton Wanderers

In his first season with the Trotters, Alonso was limited to just four league appearances, with a few others in the FA Cup and League Cup, mainly picking up minutes for the club's youth side.

His first appearance for the club came in a 2-1 away loss to Liverpool, stepping in for the suspended Robinson, but despite this, the Spaniard still could not make the position his own, and dropped back down to the bench for the following game.

The next season wasn't any better for Alonso, who made five league appearances for the club, with a metatarsal injury and an ankle injury limiting his game time as Bolton were relegated to the Championship.

It appeared as though it would be the same story once again for Alonso in the English second tier, having made just four appearances in Bolton's opening 23 games of the campaign, albeit with a key goal in a win over Sheffield Wednesday. However, he would quickly cement himself as the club's primary left-back option ahead of Sam Ricketts.

Alonso became integral for Bolton in the second half of the season and was voted as The Bolton News' Player of the Year. He struck more key goals, this time in wins over Birmingham, Brighton and Wolves, as well as notching a couple of assists. Having been limited in the opening 23 games of the season, he played in 22 of the 23 games from Boxing Day onwards, completing 90 minutes 20 times.

He would be offered a new deal to remain at the club following his impressive displays, but ultimately chose to join Italian side Fiorentina instead on a free transfer.

Marcos Alonso would become indispensable for Antonio Conte in Chelsea's title-winning campaign

After just six months in Florence, Alonso would return to England on loan with Sunderland, having failed to force his way into the first team, where he'd make 16 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats.

He'd return to Italy at the end of the season and would spend two seasons as an important player for La Viola, where, in 2016, he'd move to Chelsea for £24 million, in what was his third separate spell in England.

For two seasons under Italian boss Conte, Alonso scored 14 goals and grabbed seven assists from his wing-back role, forming an unforgettable partnership with Victor Moses on the other flank.

Chelsea romped to a Premier League title in 2017 in his first season at the club and then an FA Cup in his second.

The Spaniard would go on to make 212 appearances in all competitions for the Blues before leaving for Barcelona in 2022, having scored a total of 29 goals with 23 assists.

Bolton fans must hardly have believed what they were watching when Alonso became one of Chelsea's most important players in those first few seasons, and will call back to his second half of the season in 2012/13, where they caught a glimpse of what he was capable of.