The return of the loan stars

John Potter discusses the merits of loaning out young players

Last season the Pars did not have an under 20s team and players like Callum Smith, Stuart Morrison, Paul Allan, Brandon Luke, Conner Duthie and Scott Lochhead went out on loan to other clubs.

Having come up through the Dunfermline youth system, Brandon Luke was loaned out last season to Annan Athletic and Cowdenbeath while young keeper Craig Burt spent his season training with the other Dunfermline keepers. John Potter discussed the squad building that has got underway:-

“Last year was probably difficult for both of them. Craig was in every day and training really really well. There has been a massive improvement in him, a wee bit credit has to go to Dave Westwood the goalkeeping coach as well.

“He got a few games last year but probably didn’t get enough games. We saw enough in him to want him to stay for another year and hopefully continue improving.

“He played four or five games with Fife Elite and a couple of times down south, a few friendliest up here but not enough for him. He was really really raw and we took a gamble on him and we saw a massive improvement.

“It was not just the coaching staff, the first team players notice and they saw the improvement in him. He is still young for a goalkeeper but learning from Cammy Gill just in front of him and from Sean and Lee and from Westie as well so he is in a good group of goalkeepers who love him and his attitude.

“Brandon had been with us in the under 20s and training with the first team but he went out on loan to Annan at the start of the season and then to Cowdenbeath for the second part.

“He saw a different side of football. He played at both but sometimes was left out. He did well when he played with both teams but wasn’t always guaranteed games. It was a frustrating season for him but hopefully he can come back and make an impact because we think that he is a good player.

“He is a brilliant professional, does things right all the time and we are going to be bringing in more young players to help with our reserve team next year.

“I think Brandon is a great example to them, hopefully he can come back and see what a good place he is at too. Try and break into the first team. Hopefully he can do that.”

Potts feels that loan spells generate experience in terms of games they play, the different styles of training and to see what it is like to play first team football. They discover how easy it is to get dropped and what different managers want.

“When we are putting guys out on loan there are different emotions linked to why they go there and I think Brandon saw at all at the two clubs he was at playing in crunch games to try and keep his local team up. There was a bit of pressure - he played one and came on in the other.

“The reports we got back were good, he did well, there are bits he could add to his game but we knew that, so we are really happy to get the two of them signed up.”

JP confirmed that the club will play in the top SPFL Reserve League that will be made up of 17 or 18 clubs who play each other only once. There might possibly be a small cup competition that would take the season up to 22 games.

Six players are being brought in from the academy, there is no age restrictions but Potts expects the Reserve League to run pretty much the same way as the U20s league did.

“Our team will be pretty much under 18s with a few slightly older ones like Brandon and Craig and possibly a few first team squad players. In the main we will be a young team and they will continue to play some under 18 games for the academy as well.

“Personally I am glad that we will have a reserve team here I think it improves the young boys. The loan market has its pluses and minuses but when the boys are here we can see them, they know what we want from them and hopefully they can kick on.

“It could be a very tough season for us if we go with that young team but it is all about learning. The way that they will learn is playing against better players, bigger players in stadiums. They have done really well playing against players of their own age this year in their league and that is why they will be coming in full time but you learn by playing against experienced players.”

Paul Allan was on loan to Stenhousemuir for the early part of last season but he only made one appearance. Potts said:-

“They wanted to take him back but he was unfortunate in that the players playing in front of him was their captain, he played every week, he never got injured, he never got sent off, he was their Player of the Year so there is not much you can do.

“Second half of the season we put him out on loan to Kevin Fotheringham’s Hill of Beath just to get junior football on a Saturday. It was great for him, a different style but he will have learned through that experience.

“They played him in centre midfield, he has played a lot of times at centre back for us and been really good but we think he might be a centre midfielder. He will be coming back a better player and Paul is very good player so hopefully he can kick on in the new season.”

Callum Smith got a taste of the first team last season making eleven starts and eight appearances off the bench before he went out on loan to League One, Alloa Athletic.

“When he dropped out of the team he got frustrated so we thought the best thing was to go out on loan. The loan worked okay for Callum, he did not play all the time but he has been put in big situations and play off games. He came through with flying colours.”

Alloa gaffer Jim Goodwin was raving about him although he played him in slightly different positions. Callum was effective in every game, didn’t score a lot but created lots.

Stuart Morrison played the full season at Edinburgh City and made 23 appearances. Potts continued:-
“I think it has been brilliant for him. A tough league with tough players, he played different positions, different formations and came through it all.

“He played every week when he was fit and available. He has got to push towards the first team and see where he can go. It is a big ask with the centre backs that we have got but he is at the age now where we think that he can go and kick on.”

Reserve games will be played on Mondays and Tuesdays with the default being 2.00pm on a Monday. Home matches will be played at East End Park and New Central Park, Kelty.

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