What can Bury fans expect from their six new signings?

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Kay was joined at Gigg Lane on Friday by a trio of signings, in the form of Niall Maher, Zeli Ismail, and Ben Williams. 20-year-old Maher is a versatile defender, capable of playing anywhere in defence, and joins The Shakers from local rivals Bolton Wanderers. Maher played five times for the Whites, with another ten appearances coming during a three and a half month loan spell at Blackpool during 2014/15.

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The youngster was highly rated at the Macron Stadium but is believed to have been forced out as the club attempt to cut their wage bill ahead of their first season in the third tier for over twenty years.

It is hoped that Maher can follow in the footsteps of the last young defender to make the short switch down the A58. Joe Riley joined Bury in January 2015, and the full-back has gone on to become a crucial component of the side that consolidated themselves in League One last season. With rumours circulating that Riley’s departure could be imminent, it is possible that Flitcroft sees Maher as a direct replacement for the highly sought-after 24-year-old.

Zeli Ismail joins the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ismail’s career, to date, has not lived up to expectations at all. At 15, the Albanian-born winger picked up the player of the tournament award at the prestigious youth competition, The Milk Cup. His stunning displays reportedly attracted the interest of Chelsea and Manchester City, and it wasn’t long before he was being touted as the first £100 million footballer.

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Ismail was regarded as the most talented footballer of his age group in the country at the time, but unfortunately, the pressure has weighed heavily on the player’s shoulders ever since, with his progress stalling dramatically in the years following.

After making his Wolves debut in September 2012, during a 6-0 defeat to Chelsea in the League Cup, Ismail was subsequently loaned out to MK Dons. The youngster struggled to establish himself in The Don’s first team and found himself back at Molineux after making just two starts for the club.

At the start of the following campaign, Wolves manager Kenny Jackett announced that Ismail was an important part of his plans, and decided to give him a run of games to prove himself. Again, Ismail failed to do enough to hold down a first-team spot and was loaned out to Burton Albion, where he proved to be a revelation during a successful six-month sojourn.

A spell at Notts County followed at the beginning of the next campaign, and things started promisingly before an injury forced a return to Wolves to undergo surgery. A return to Burton followed, but injury struck again before unremarkable loan spells at Oxford United and Cambridge United left Ismail’s career at a crossroads this summer.

Now 22, time is passing by quickly for Ismail, and if he is to get anywhere close to fulfilling his once glittering potential, he must make the most of the opportunity that Bury have afforded him. Flitcroft has clearly seen something he likes in the youngster, and if Ismail can get back to the form he was displaying during his first spell at Burton, then a two-year-deal could well prove to be a stroke of genius for both parties. The former England Under-16 and Under-17 international will provide healthy competition for Danny Mayor and Craig Jones on the wings, with his pace offering an extra dimension that Bury lacked at times last term.