Michael O’Connor
Michael O’Connor qualifies through his later permanent spell, but the player I have in mind is the young midfielder we borrowed from Crewe in 2009. He was full of energy and endeavour, tough in the tackle and capable of giving us exactly the sort of competitive presence Chris and Tom would appreciate. We had just lost Lee Frecklington when he arrived, and I wonder whether we fully appreciated how fortunate we were to get him, even briefly. There was hope we might keep him, but he subsequently moved from Crewe to Scunthorpe for £250,000 and established himself in the Championship.
That move showed there was substance behind what we’d seen, and the younger O’Connor would be a fascinating addition to our current midfield. I wouldn’t necessarily put him and Frecklington together at the expense of everything we already have, because I’d still want the qualities offered by somebody like McGrandles or Varfolomeev alongside them. However, Mickey at his best belongs in that conversation, with the energy to compete and the ability to make his contribution count. We saw a different, more experienced player when he returned permanently, but the one who left in 2009 would be my pick for this particular team.
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