By, Simon Griver
1 min read
BySimon Griver, Simon Griver
Tamir Cohen hopes his 90th-minute winner against Arsenal will earn him a new contract at Bolton Wanderers.
The goal gave him the chance to pay tribute to his late father, Avi, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in Israel.
He revealed that he had been wearing a T-shirt with his father's portrait since returning to England after his death in December.
"A very good friend in Manchester designed the shirt," he said. "I've been wearing it for three and a half months, waiting until I scored and had the chance to show it. It's always a great feeling to score but this time there was joy mixed with sadness with all the thoughts and memories of my father with me.
"I knew I would eventually score and had a feeling before the match it would be against Arsenal."
Cohen, 27, was booked for removing his team shirt after he headed home a last-gasp corner to make it 2-1 and end Arsenal's bid to win the Premier League. It was only his fourth league appearance for Bolton this season.
He signed a three-and-a-half year contract with the Trotters in 2008 after joining from Maccabi Netanya. He was a first-team regular under former boss Gary Megson, but has only started a handful of games since Owen Coyle arrived from Burnley. He has yet to be offered a new deal.
Cohen said: "My contract ends in two months and my agent, Pini Zahavi, is working on it. At present, I'm training the best I can so that I'm always ready to show my best abilities."
It was also a moving day for Owen Coyle, the Bolton manager. He said: "Avi spent a week at our training ground before he passed away and the players all got to know him well. It was a very emotional winner for Tamir, given he has lost his dad.
"It was fitting he got the winner on such a wonderful day. Tamir has been training every day as if it was his last."