All eyes might well be on the Imps right now, riding high in the League One table with a strong squad, but we shouldn’t forget the players we have out on loan.
Perhaps there’s a feeling we don’t have quite the same amount of talent out on loan as last season – there’s nobody who we’ll be clamouring to bring back and impact the squad. It could be argued that we’ve actually got two young players out, one more senior prospect and two players unlikely to play again for the Imps.
That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t still keep an eye on them, just in case. With that in mind, here are the five Imps currently out on loan, and a bit about how they’re doing.
Alistair Smith – AFC Wimbledon
Ali Smith is on a season-long loan with AFC Wimbledon, but his contract is up at the end of the season and unless he bags ten goals and ten assists, I can’t see it being renewed. As he is over 23 as well, even if we did try, I don’t think he’d sign it.
Is he smashing it at Wimbledon? He has started all seven of their matches so far – bear in mind, they’re a bit behind everyone else after their pitch collapsed. He’s had no goals or assists, but started well against Colchester, with three shots, one on target. In all his matches since that, nine in league and cup, he’s managed just three more shots.
Zak Bradshaw – Tranmere Rovers
Zak is perhaps the one player we have out who could be close to the first team if he were to return. He’s the only one playing in the Football League likely to come back into the fold at some point. Unlike Smith, Bradshaw isn’t a regular starter for Tranmere – he’s started three League Two matches and come off the bench in four.
He does have an assist but is currently in a battle to get some starts. He’s played the full 90 in two of their last three encounters, but they’re not having a good run, with draws against MK Dons and Swindon and a thumping at Colchester in his last three outings.
MJ Kamson-Kamara – Peterborough Sports
Kamson-Kamara is further down his progression pathway than Bradshaw, but he is getting regular minutes for Peterborough Sports, as well as regularly training with the Imps first team. He’s a regular in their first XI, playing in the heart of defence, and is seen as a solid option. He was given Man of the Match recently against Royston, despite coming off with a head injury, an accolade he has won before against Oxford City.
He’s often in the thick of the action, clearing off the line against Curzon Ashton. He’s definitely one to kee an eye on, as he doesn’t look out of place in the Turbines side.
Oisin Gallagher – Peterborough Sports
Ah. the curse of concussion. After losing George Wickens and Zach Jeacock recently, Gallagher has made it an unlucky trio by missing a handful of recent matches for his loan club. It doesn’t appear to have happened in a match – he played on September 9th as they went down 2-0 against Brackley, but was missing injured a week later.
He was a first-team regular but was missing for a couple of weeks. He made his first appearance for a while as a sub this weekend as they went down 2-0 against Rushall Olympic. One wonders if part of his rehab could be minutes tonight against Grimsby Town.
Jay Benn – Bradford City
I think Jay Benn sits in the middle. He’s not definitely out for good like Smith, but is also perhaps not quite as close as someone like Bradshaw in terms of development. What he really needs is to smash it at Bradford, and if he does, then I imagine a door might be open. His time at Solihull was impressive, but is he doing it for our friends at Valley Parade?
He’s only just forced his way into their side after two appearances for them in the BSM Trophy. One of those appearances saw him bag an assist, and finally, he’s getting League Two minutes. He’s made the most of those as well – he grabbed two assists last night in their game against Newport County, after starting his second EFL game for them.
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