Lincoln City brought Mason Melia to Sincil Bank with the intention of giving him opportunities, but the Tottenham Hotspur forward may experience bumps in the road, according to sporting director Jez George.
Melia joined City on a season-long loan in August, shortly after completing his move to Tottenham from St Patrick’s Athletic. It is the first loan spell of his career and represents a significant change for a player who was already accustomed to playing senior football in the League of Ireland.
Despite being only 18, Melia made 76 league appearances and scored 21 goals for St Patrick’s. He also represented the club in European competition before Tottenham agreed a deal reportedly worth an initial €2 million, potentially rising to €4 million.
That record helped make him one of the most sought-after young players in Irish football, but his move to Lincoln was never presented as an easy route into the Championship. Sporting director Jez George has explained that Melia was recruited to compete for a place, rather than simply being handed one.
“It’s Mason’s first loan. We brought him in to play, of course. We brought him in to challenge the 11,” Jez told me in an exclusive interview on YouTube.
“We thought he was quite different to many of the players we had at the top end of the pitch. We think he has some qualities that can really help us.
“He scored goals for St Patrick’s Athletic in a really competitive league at such a young age, and he has the ability to receive the ball into feet in tight areas.”
Melia arrived with more senior experience than many players embarking upon their first loan. However, he is still adapting to a new club, a new division and the demands of Championship football.
His physical maturity and previous experience can make it easy to forget his age, but City are conscious that his development is unlikely to follow a completely smooth path.
“Despite being 18 years old, he doesn’t look or play like an 18-year-old. But we have to be cognisant that he is 18 and this is his first loan.
“His agents, the player himself and his parent club all know there can be bumps in the road.”
Jez pointed towards Harry Kane’s early loan experiences as evidence that a young player’s immediate success does not necessarily determine the direction of his career. Kane had mediocre spells with Norwich City and Leicester City before eventually establishing himself at Tottenham.
“If you look at probably the greatest player in Tottenham’s modern history, Harry Kane, and what happened during his first or second loan, there are bumps in the road for those young players when they go out.”
Not every young player immediately adapts to the demands of senior football. For some, a loan provides the first occasion on which selection is not guaranteed by their reputation or potential.
“Sometimes they fly, like Brennan Johnson here,” added Jez.
“Sometimes they take a bit of time to get into the team and then fly, like Ryan One.
“Other times, it’s almost the first time in a player’s career that they have to learn what it’s like not to be in a team and how to get into it.”
That learning process appears to be an important element of Melia’s move. City want to help develop one of Tottenham’s brightest young talents, but he must compete with the other forwards in the squad and earn his opportunities.
“When we’re pitching to these players, we always try to be as honest as we can. But equally, it’s competitive and they have to fight to get into the team.”
Melia was recruited because City believe his movement, technical ability and experience of receiving the ball in crowded areas can offer something different. However, his first loan is also about learning to overcome difficult periods, respond to competition and force his way into a Championship side.
With Ethan Wheatley, Tanto Olafe and Chiedozie Ogbene coming in on loan, as well as Rob Street, Reeco Hackett and Ben House vying for a place, Mason does have his work cut out seeking to impress, but he’ll get chances, and when they come, he has the attributes to take those chances.
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