By Mark Heys
August 21 2005

The recent signing of Hidetoshi Nakata from Fiorentina is beleived to have opened a huge wave of possible sponsership opportunities for Bolton Wanderers. The 28-year old arrived from Italy last week on a twelve month loan deal and the Manchester Evening News report that this is set to create a wave of commercial openings.

Oliver Butler is the communications manager of marketing company Sport Markt and he beleives that the Trotters can reap the marketing dividens in a similar way to when the player moved from his homeland to Perugia in 1998.

"Bolton Wanderers have signed the most popular footballer in Japanese football," said Butler.

"His arrival at Bolton will inevitably boost interest in the club over in Japan and probably in other Asian countries too.

"Already we have witnessed the `Nakata effect' where one of his former clubs Parma was the sixth most popular club in Asia a couple of years ago.

"His first Italian club Perugia were more popular in Japan than Arsenal, who had another Japanese international midfielder Junichi Inamoto temporarily on their books. His arrival will also inevitably boost interest in the Barclays Premiership too beyond the 20million who are already interested in the competition.

"Nakata may also provide an opportunity for Bolton to attract Japanese sponsors hitherto unattainable."

Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce and chairman Phil Gartside have already dismissed reports that the Nakata signing is for commercial reasons by stating that the attacking midfielder is a star in his own right.

Nakata was paraded in front of the Bolton supporters during Sunday's game with Everton along with other new recruits Jared Borgetti, Ian Walker and Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye.