All eyes might well be on the Imps right now, riding high in the League One table with a strong squad, but we shouldn’t forget the players we have out on loan.
Perhaps there is a sense that we don’t have as much talent out on loan as we did last season – there isn’t someone we’ll be clamouring to get back and impact the squad. It could be said that we have two young players out, one more senior prospect, and two guys who are unlikely to play again for the Imps.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t keep an eye on them, just in case. With that in mind, here are the five Imps now on loan, as well as a brief update on their performances.
Alistair Smith – AFC Wimbledon
Ali Smith is on a season-long loan at AFC Wimbledon, but his contract expires at the end of the season, and until he scores ten goals and 10 assists, I don’t see it renewing. Even if we tried, I doubt he’d sign it because he’s older than 23.
Is he crushing it at Wimbledon? He has started all seven of their matches so far, but keep in mind that they are a little behind everyone else because their pitch collapsed. He has no goals or assists, but he started brightly against Colchester, taking three shots, one of which was on target. He has only taken three additional shots in his nine league and cup matches after then.
Zak Bradshaw – Tranmere Rovers
Zak is possibly the only guy we have out who could make the first team if he returns. He is the lone player in the NFL who is expected to return at some time. Unlike Smith, Bradshaw is not a regular starter for Tranmere; he has started three League Two games and appeared off the bench in four.
He has an assist but is now struggling to obtain some starts. He’s played the entire 90 minutes in two of their last three games, but they’re on a losing streak, with draws against MK Dons and Swindon and a thrashing at Colchester in his previous three.
MJ Kamson-Kamara – Peterborough Sports
Kamson-Kamara is further down his development route than Bradshaw, yet he plays regularly for Peterborough Sports and trains with the Imps first team. He is a regular in their first XI, playing in the heart of defence, and is regarded as a reliable alternative. He was named Man of the Match against Royston despite leaving with a head injury, an award he previously won against Oxford City.
He’s frequently in the midst of the action, clearing the line against Curzon Ashton. He’s definitely worth keeping a watch on because he looks right at home on the Turbines side.
Oisin Gallagher – Peterborough Sports
Ah, the curse of concussion. After losing George Wickens and Zach Jeacock recently, Gallagher has joined the unfortunate three by missing a few recent matches for his loan club. It does not appear to have happened during a game; he played on September 9th as they lost 2-0 to Brackley, but was injured a week later.
He was a first-team regular who was absent for a few weeks. He made his first appearance in a while as a substitute this weekend, as they lost 2-0 against Rushall Olympic. One wonders if his rehabilitation will include playing minutes against Grimsby Town tonight.
Jay Benn – Bradford City
I believe Jay Benn is sitting in the middle. He’s not as determined to do good as Smith, but he’s also not as far along in his development as Bradshaw. What he really needs is to smash it at Bradford, and if he does, I suppose a door will open. His time in Solihull was impressive, but is he doing it for our Valley Parade friends?
He’s only recently broken into their starting lineup, having made two BSM Trophy appearances. One of those appearances resulted in an assist, and now he’s earning League Two minutes. He’s made the most of them as well, recording two assists yesterday night against Newport County after starting his second EFL game for them.
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