Returning Loan Players – How Successful Are They? (Pt2)

Courtesy Graham Burrell

Recently, Malcolm Johnson did an article on players we’d signed after a loan spell prior to the turn of the century. I said I’d do one with a selection of such players over the last 23 years, and here it is. Kind of. Here’s part one of two, given that there are so many.

Alas, I shall not go into the level of detail Malcolm did, for two reasons. One, I don’t have time. Two, there are a lot more players, given how the loan market looks these days.

As a disclaimer, I am not including several types of loan players. For instance, I shall not be including the likes of Nat Brown and Drewe Broughton, who joined us immediately after a loan spell. One caveat is the player in question must have gone and played games elsewhere before coming back to us. I would also point out that some players, like Lee Angol and Thierry Audel, did have two spells, but both were loans. The deal is they have to have a loan, and then move permanently at a later date, even if that is just one game back for their parent club.

However, there are still plenty of players on the list, and I may have missed some. Do they give us an indication of whether Tyler Walker will be a big player for us? Let’s see.

Harry Anderson

Credit Graham Burrell

Harry had two spells at Lincoln in the 2016/17 season, and it was hard to work out which one was more productive. Certainly when he first arrived he added a different dimension to our attack, he brought a goal threat from the opposite wing to Nathan Arnold and gave us real options going forward. Goals at Wrexham and Bromley were vital in the early stages of that superb unbeaten run, but his all-round displays were eye catching. Barry Fry came to watch his player a couple of times, and each time he put on a real display for his parent club. So much so, he did return and appear for them, playing right wing back as they lost 2-1 to an Oxford side featuring Chris Maguire.

Should he be on the list? He didn’t appear for his parent club again, but he is an example of a player coming back after a loan and doing well. He won League Two and the Checkatrade Trophy with the Imps, and played as we got to the League One Play-Off Final, and frankly I wanted him on the list.

Hamza Bencherif

Credit Graham Burrell

Big Algerian Hamza Bencherif first turned up at Sincil Bank in 2007, on loan from Forest. He was brought in by John Schofield just a few games before he lost his job, but he kept his place for the first couple of games of Peter Jackson’s reign. He impressed in his 12-game spell as a powerful and commanding presence, and despite being linked with him after his loan spell he didn’t return immediately. Instead, he went off to Macclesfield, Notts County and Plymouth Argyle.

He was brought back by Gary Simpson ahead of the 2014-15 season after a spell on trial at Cambridge United, with devastating effect. He scored four in five games early in the season, one a superb last-minute winner in a scintillating local derby with Grimsby. He had a solid season despite Gary Simpson leaving and Chris Moyses coming in, but at the end of the season, he opted to sign for ambitious FC Halifax along with teammate Jordan Burrow.

That move didn’t work out as Halifax were relegated, but the powerful midfielder was still a success on his return after a loan spell.