Development Loans. We always talk about them. They are a valuable part of our ‘model’ at Lincoln. just look at Freddie Draper. However, fans are rarely able to get much of an insight into how a player we send out is doing. Well, let’s see how one of the youngster’s seasons has gone.
Last week, I got the opportunity to sit down with Solihull Moors CEO Mark Palmer for an extended interview on one of his new projects, which will be written up this weekend. Ok, plug done. Of course, it would be remiss of me to be there and not also ask about Jay Benn. The youngster joined the Moors on loan at the start of this season and started the season strongly. Picking up three assists in his first six league outings, including one on his debut, so Lincoln fans who were keeping a keen eye on his time at the National League outfit will have been impressed.
However, his season has not been as straightforward as both the Moors and the Imps will have hoped. Injuries began to limit his game time, causing him to miss the whole of October. The former Halifax man then scored a goal immediately upon his return in November in the ‘Battle of the Loanees’ as they faced a Dagenham and Redbridge side who had Charley Kendall in their ranks at the time. Another injury then came, with the right-back only picking up a handful of minutes from the start of December, but is now coming back into the fray.
“When he joined, he had a really good impact on the pitch and around the squad, but he has unfortunately had a few injuries,” Palmer stated. “He is just now getting back from those injuries, being involved in the win at Halifax last week.”
Ironically, the Solihull chief then uttered a sentence we’ve heard all too often as Imps fans, “Keep him fit, keep him proactive and he can be an important part of our playoff push.”
That playoff push is well and truly underway for the West Midlands club. They currently sit 5th in the National League, three points above Gateshead in 8th, and will be hoping to solidify their place in the top seven as they travel to mid-table side Rochdale.
When asked about how the relationship has been with Lincoln and our staff over the course of the loan move, the CEO could not praise the club enough.
“We’ve been really impressed with the support the player has received because with the injuries he has had, they’ve really helped out with the medical side of that,” he explained. “He is one of Lincoln’s players and it is in their interest, but not every club does it. We would hope that there would be a further relationship with Lincoln. We could be a good outlet for the club to give their young lads minutes, and I could only see it flourishing.”
Hearing that we take such care in nurturing our young stars, even when they’re not at the EPC every day, gives a real sense of pride in the club. It’s often said that Lincoln have a reputation for doing things right, yet it is uncommon to hear exactly how. Or in what areas, but another club’s CEO giving us praise when he didn’t have to says a lot. Let’s hope Jay can come back to us with a promotion on his CV and with a fire lit within him to fight for a first-team place in the summer, provided he stays fit of course.