Bolton defender Max Conway keen to represent South Africa

English-born Bolton Wanderers defender Max Conway says he would “love to play for South Africa” because of his family connection to Pretoria, with the 23-year-old hoping his performances in the Championship can bring him to the attention of Bafana Bafana.

Conway has been with Bolton since the age of seven and progressed through the club’s academy before becoming a regular in the first team last season. The left-back played a key role in the Trotters’ promotion from League One, which was secured by a play-off victory at Wembley as Bolton returned to the Championship.

The defender, whose grandmother was born in South Africa’s capital, discussed his international ambitions in an exclusive interview with SuperSport.

“Yeah, so my grandma was born in Pretoria, South Africa. So that’s always been a big part of my life ever since I was young. She would talk about South Africa and what an amazing place it was. I really enjoyed watching South Africa at the World Cup.”

Conway said he has followed South Africa closely and believes representing the country would be particularly meaningful because of his grandmother and wider family.

“They were one of the most enjoyable teams to watch, with how much they were attacking, the games were definitely entertaining. If the timing’s right with South Africa, then I’d love to play for South Africa. It’s always been a thing that I wanted to do, especially with my family and to make my grandmother proud would be a special thing as well.”

The Bolton player has already experienced playing against South African opposition. He faced Orlando Pirates during a pre-season training camp in Marbella last year, an occasion that attracted attention because of his family background.

“It was a really good experience. I was very impressed with their players. They were very good, and of course there was a bit of attention before it with me being South African around that.”

Conway has described himself as an attack-minded full-back, with his ability to carry the ball from deep one of the main features of his game. He also takes set pieces and believes being left-footed can provide an advantage.

“The best part of my game is probably my attackingness from deep. So I’m an attacking fullback, and I’d say like my superpower or my main strength is driving with the ball, running with the ball, beating players. I’m on set pieces too.”

“To be fair, I’ve been on some set pieces, yeah. It’s a big thing in football. Everyone’s after left-footed players, so it’s definitely an advantage, especially if you have a good left foot as well.”

The step up to the Championship has presented a greater test in terms of pace and intensity, but Conway has adapted smoothly since Bolton’s promotion. The club’s immediate priority is to establish itself in the second tier, while the defender is focused on continuing to develop and perform consistently.

Alongside those club ambitions, Conway is quietly hopeful that his displays for Bolton can earn him recognition from South Africa’s national-team selectors. His Pretoria connection gives him a route to Bafana Bafana, and he says the opportunity to represent the country would fulfil a long-held personal ambition.