BOLTON outcast Gareth Farrelly has been challenged to step into Paul Cook's shoes and orchestrate Burnley's revival.

Clarets boss Stan Ternent sees the Republic of Ireland ace as the perfect replacement for Cook, who left Turf Moor in the summer and now marshals the Accrington Stanley midfield.

Farrelly has struggled to carve out an opening at Bolton since the Trotters jumped back into the big time two years ago.

And Ternent, who has been chasing the 28-year-old ever since Wanderers won promotion, reckons his latest loan signing can fill a void at Turf Moor and help get his career back in the fast lane.

Ternent said: "Gareth is a proven player and an international footballer. He has been out of the picture at Bolton, but he's another player I have been chasing for probably two years and I see him as an ideal replacement for Paul Cook.

"He's that type of player because he gives us a balance, he's left-sided, he can score a goal, he's an athlete and he has a lot of experience - so he's a no-risk signing."

Farrelly is wisely refusing to predict his long term future after being cast into the footballing wilderness at the Reebok Stadium.

A string of foreign buys by boss Sam Allardyce quickly blocked any hope the former Everton playmaker had of making his mark.

And Farrelly refuses to hold back when recalling the most frustrating two years of his professional career.

He said: "Things have been very frustrating for me at Bolton and I'm not content to sit on my backside doing nothing every week.

"All footballers want to play and it's all about 3pm on a Saturday and if you are in the squad.

"If you are not involved you are just sat around for three or four hours watching the game and I'm not happy with that - it's not something I want to do.

"I went out on loan to Rotherham at the end of last year and felt I did well when I came back to Bolton.

"I was obviously going into pre-season feeling hopeful, but football is all about opinions and at the moment the manager is choosing not to play me.

"I can't affect his opinion on that. He has his choices and his team, so things are going to get a little strained.

"That's part and parcel of football, so this move has come along at the perfect time for me and I'm just delighted to be playing in a first team again."

For now, Farrelly intends to knuckle down and show his true colours in a claret and blue shirt, starting at Stoke tomorrow.

Any thoughts of extending the loan surely depend on him repeating the form that earned him cult status on Merseyside after scoring the goal on the last day of the 1997/98 season to keep Everton in the Premiership.

Farrelly added another priceless strike to his collection three years later with the first goal in Bolton's 3-0 play-off final victory over Preston, which brought top flight football back to the town and almost helped win him a place in Mick McCarthy's Irish squad for the 2002 World Cup.

Already, Farrelly has been told he will be given the chance to play in the Potteries - and another crucial goal could help heal all the wounds caused by all his recent setbacks.