Lincoln City fans will be hoping to get a first glimpse of Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mason Melia this weekend, as the Imps take on Derby County.
The 18-year-old has penned a season-long loan deal with City, who are in competitive action for the first time as a Championship side this weekend.
There are no points on the line against Derby County, but it promises to be an interesting game. Championship squads have been known to play weaker sides for League Cup games, but with it being a Saturday before the season starts properly, both sides might be stronger.
City Head Coach Chris Cohen has revealed that Melia was someone we were interested in before his move to Spurs, and outlined how excited he was to work with him.
“He’s been someone we were really interested in when he was doing his stuff in Ireland,” he told Imps +. “He was someone we knew about and was completely on our radar, but obviously he chose to go to Tottenham and join a massive football club.
“We’re so excited to have him. He trained today for the first time. I know he’s 18 years old, which people think is really young, but he’s been playing men’s football for a long time. His physicality and his ability already shone in his first session.
“He’s a player we’ve known about for a long time and a player we’re really excited to work with”.
Melia has been described as a centre forward, but has a range of skills, which should suit the Imps, as Chris explained.
“We’ve got a really adaptable game model. We play different formations and have different styles against different opponents, and he fits a lot of them.
“Obviously, the top end of the pitch and the magic around the goal is the bit that’s most exciting about him. We see him being able to help us at the top end of the pitch in a number of positions, alongside some other players he’s coming in to join.”
With Melia training on Thursday, it also gave some of the players a chance to work with him as well. Former Ram Callum Elder was on media duty, and he was asked about the youngster, of whom great things are expected at Spurs.
“He trained today with the lads,” said Elder. “He looks really good and is a confident boy. It’s great to have him in the building.
“Hopefully he can progress and develop. He’s only a young lad, so everyone will have to look after him, but it’s exciting from what we’ve seen today and moving forward.”
City visit Pride Park looking for the first-ever win there. In 2023/24, we were beaten 2-0 in the EFL Trophy, and 3-1 in the league. On that occasion, Elder came off the bench for the Rams, while James Collins bagged their third after Danny Mandroiu’s penalty came either side of Derby goals.
In fact, so bad is our form at Derby that we have never won there, while Pride Park or the Baseball Ground, and in every meeting between the clubs on their soil, we have only scored eight times. Let’s hope Mason Melia can push us towards breaking that awful run!
Is there a worry over James Collins future fitness. When I see the surname Melia I think of a little bald headed chap wearing the black an white of Newcastle United missing a penalty in a League Cup game against the Imps many years ago.
Jimmy Melia never played for Newcastle. You may be thinking of the equally bald Jim Iley who did play in the 1967 League Cup game – but Newcastle weren’t awarded a penalty in it. Jimmy Melia was a regular visitor to Sincil Bank a year or two later when he was player-manager of Aldershot.