D.O.B - 15/06/1986
Place of Birth - Hertfordshire
Position - Forward
Former Clubs - Ipswich Town, Northampton Town (Loan), Burnley (Loan), Brighton & Hove Albion (Loan), Wycombe Wanderers (Loan), Brentford (Loan)
Dean Bowditch burst onto the scene at Portman Road as a 17 year-old, where he became the club's youngest ever hat-trick scorer against Watford in the Championship. Then manager Joe Royle said that the "secret was out" about Bowditch, who looked set for an excellent career in the game. But he struggled to make a further impression at Ipswich and was limited to sub appearances for much of his time after breaking through at Ipswich.
Loan spells at Burnley and Northampton followed, but he struggled to settle at either club and get a consistent run in the team, with the same happening at Brighton and Wycombe later on. Last season he ended up at League Two champions Brentford, where he scored 2 goals in 8 appearances towards the end of the campaign to help edge the Bees towards the title.
Bowditch isn't a prolific goalscorer, and never will be. He's a decent finisher but often works hard to chase down the ball and get hold of it in wide and deep positions that he isn't in the box when the ball gets there. He does, however, have a bit of skill and is able to create goals and space for others with his work rate and turn of pace. Having never settled at a club in the lower leagues it's difficult to assess what his impact could be like, but if McParland can begin to get to the potential that Bowditch obviously has, then it could prove to be a shrewd move to bring him in.
He does, however, have other admirers in the lower leagues. Huddersfield Town have already taken Bowditch on trial, while Leyton Orient and former club Brentford are both also linked to the forward.