Coventry City pair handed ‘clean slate’ in make or break final days of the transfer window
Frank Lampard has given senior Coventry City development players Jack Burroughs and Ryan Howley a “clean slate” after recalling them from season-long loan spells in Scotland.
Burroughs, 23, a versatile full-back or wing-back on either flank as well as in midfield, has ended his spell with Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock, where he made 14 appearances (five starts and nine from the bench) in the first half of the season.
Midfielder Howley, 21, who has also been deployed as a centre-back, has ended his spell with Scottish Championship club Ayr United, where he appeared 13 times (five starts and eight on the bench).
Since his comeback, the player has played in two Sky Blues Under-21 games, scoring twice in a 14-0 win over Colchester United on Tuesday and starting again in Friday’s 2-0 loss to Birmingham.
Burroughs, meanwhile, played against Colchester but did not appear against Blues, indicating that he may be placed on the bench against Watford in the Championship today.
When asked whether the intention is to analyze the duo now that they’re back in the fold before choosing whether to send them out on another loan or retain them in the squad for the rest of the season, Lampard said, “Exactly that.”
When asked about his initial impressions of the boys, he said, “Yeah good, very lovely fellas. They’re great on the training field and easy to chat to.
That is new to me since I have just met them for the first time, and I have no complaints.
So it’s simply a matter of analyzing them, seeing where they are, and caring for them as guys to see if they can assist us.”
When asked if the young players were excited to return to work with him as the new manager, he replied: “I hope so, and, yes, they’re our players, and a change of manager makes them wonder what’s going on.
They are back here. It’s time for a clean slate.
“We’re looking at them for the first time, and hopefully we’re a friendly staff, and they’re returning to a decent building where we’re working hard and providing them with the care and support that they need.
We want to help everyone here, especially young guys looking to make a career in the game. So yeah, we’ll see how things go.”
Players are not permitted to play for more than two teams in any given season, therefore if either plays for the Sky Blues senior team before the end of the month, they will be unable to go out on loan again this season.
Asked if it can be difficult to get the right fit in terms of a loan move for some players to aid their development, the head coach said: “That’s the challenge, and you never know. Sometimes you’re there and you try and make the right decisions for the player.
There is a duty on the athlete to find the appropriate fit, but there is also a responsibility on our end to get it right. It does not always come off. It does not necessarily signify one thing or the other.
“But what they’ll both benefit from is the experience of going away, whether it was good, bad, or somewhere in between, because this is real football and real life.
So I believe they will have gained something from that experience, whether it was good or terrible, and they should see it positively.
Burroughs and Howley’s contracts expire in the summer, but the club has a one-year option on both.
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