JJ McKiernan has returned to League One side Burton Albion on a season-long loan.
The midfielder joined the Imps in July 2024, making 17 appearances, including six starts, before spending the second half of the season on loan at the Pirelli Stadium. In Imps colours, he scored once and assisted once, both against Manchester City Under 21s.
The 23-year-old played regular football, making 19 league starts for the Brewers as they successfully avoided relegation. He scored once for the Brewers and created a single goal as well.
“JJ did well on loan at Burton in the second half of last season, starting every game that he was available for, and wants to be a first-choice player for this season,” director of football Jez George said:.
“We cannot guarantee him that due to the number of players within our squad in his position, so this arrangement has been agreed to facilitate his desire to play every week and ensure that we add value to our asset who is contracted until June 2028. We wish him well.”
It is my understanding that Burton will pay almost all of JJ’s wages, and should he make the expected appearances for the Brewers, then we will have zero wage liability for him this season. Given that, upon completion of his contract, he will still have a couple of years left, it seemingly represents a risk-free loan.
Of course, I’d have liked to have seen JJ in pre-season, he’s a player I felt was going to be big for us, but crucially, this does feel like it is player-led. The nature of the wording suggests that he wants to play regular football, and we can’t guarantee that. Sure, we could look at him in pre-season, but at this stage, he can’t be guaranteed a start. It reads to me as if this is a player-driven move, and, in fairness, I respect that in a player, just wanting to play, even if it’s not best for us.
In terms of our investment, I believe we paid in the region of £50,000 for JJ from Morecambe, and at present, our wage liability stands at around six months. We’re protected in terms of his contract, and should he go to Burton and smash it, then he’ll be worth at least what we paid, if not a lot more.
It’s not ideal, of course, we want every transfer to work out. I can see some real ability in JJ, that little bit of something you don’t see every day. The harsh fact is, even if we kept him, he wouldn’t necessarily be in our first team, and would be on the fringes of the squad. If he wants more for himself, then as a club, we have to facilitate that in a way that protects our investment.
Best of luck, JJ.
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