Young City midfielder Gbolahan Okewoye has joined Billericay Town on a short-term loan.
Okewoye made his first team debut for the Imps in August as a substitute in the Carabao Cup tie against Harrogate Town – the 18-year-old has also been involved in a number of matchday squads in Sky Bet League One for Michael Skubala’s side without making another senior appearance.
He will now continue his development with Billericay, who sit 10th in the Isthmian League Premier Division. He’s the first Imp to move to Billericay since Matt Rhead’s transfer on the eve of the 2019/20 season. Don’t worry, though – they’re no longer owned by Glenn Tamplin, so they are on something of a more even footing.
They’re now managed by Danny Scopes, and hopefully, it will see Okewoye get a few senior minutes to help his development. It’s not the usual loan we look for – we’ve utilised both Ireland and clubs within a reasonable distance, but there will be thinking behind this move. I’m led to believe Bola is from down south, so this may allow him to be a little closer to home.
After helping Lincoln United to promotion last season, Bola put pen to paper on a one-year deal with City in the summer. During his spell with the Whites, he impressed with two goals and two assists across 18 outings in a title-winning campaign. Bola was also a regular in City’s FA Youth Cup squads, featuring in back-to-back seasons as the U18s reached the third and fourth rounds.
Both runs ended in penalty shoot-out defeats, with the youngster playing the full 120 minutes against Barnsley and Plymouth Argyle, the latter ending a record-equalling sequence in the competition.