Eleven of the Best: Loanees

[RoversAlias]

Hi folks,

Our latest "Eleven of the Best" is now up on the site for your Sunday reading, and this time I've put together a team of Rovers loanees that stood out in my memory. The one restriction I gave myself is that I couldn't choose anyone who went on to sign permanently, ruling out players like Sharp, Mills and Brown. That said, I think it's a pretty decent team albeit a little light on defence! You can check it out at the link below:

https://www.intotheemptynet.com/post/eleven-of-the-best-rovers-loanees

Please let me know your thoughts, how you viewed these players' time at Rovers and who you might have picked instead!

Many thanks for reading, as ever.

 

[Chris Black come back]

That is another good read, thank you.

Personally would add in there Kieron Brady, Danny Williamson, Andy Turner and a lad who was quietly but very consistently good, JJ Melligan.

[roversdude]

Another great read, I’m obviously a bit older as I’d have Tony Woodcock in there

[Jonathan]

That is another good read, thank you.

Personally would add in there Kieron Brady, Danny Williamson, Andy Turner and a lad who was quietly but very consistently good, JJ Melligan.

Agree with all that. There’s a case for Jay Emmanuel Thomas to be included too.

[Draytonian III]

Is this about their performances for Rovers or what they did or what they went to achieve afterwards ?

[RoversAlias]

Thanks for the responses folks - Emmanuel-Thomas was very nearly included but I opted for Forte instead in the end. Unfortunately I just couldn't get enough info on some of the older players mentioned, as they were before my time to know from memory. Melligan is another that nearly made the list.

Draytonian - It is based off of their performances for Rovers. Though I don't think it's unrelated that many of these players went on to good careers as they showed their potential when here.

[NickDRFC]

As ever a really good read but not sure about the inclusion of Stevens. I recall him as a steady but very unspectacular player and I think many of the names mentioned on this thread are more deserving of a spot, particularly given he is seemingly in the side as a midfielder. No doubting his achievements since but I think others have made a much more significant impact whilst at Rovers.

[The Dav]

Surely Brian Stock has to be in there ? If I’m correct we had him on loan from Preston and then went on to make it a permanent ?

[ravenrover]

Fortune from the experiment, would have loved to have seen him long term

[Chris Black come back]

Surely Brian Stock has to be in there ? If I’m correct we had him on loan from Preston and then went on to make it a permanent ?

The author chose to select loanees who did not then go to play for us permanently. Otherwise Stocky would surely be in there, yes.

[Jonathan]

As ever a really good read but not sure about the inclusion of Stevens. I recall him as a steady but very unspectacular player and I think many of the names mentioned on this thread are more deserving of a spot, particularly given he is seemingly in the side as a midfielder. No doubting his achievements since but I think others have made a much more significant impact whilst at Rovers.

It’s a tricky one though, off the top of my head I can’t think of a better left back that we’ve loaned, so I can see why he’s in there.

It’s a reminder of how much talent we’ve had on loan in the midfield and attacking areas. Danny Williamson was on a different level to anything I’d seen at that time, and Ryan Mason was superb to watch in the short time we had him. I always liked Jordan Houghton too. Good all round footballer with lots of further development in him. It’s a shame that one didn’t work out permanently.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Excellent article.

I'd add Chris Brown in 03/04. Those who only saw him as the MkII workhorse later on wouldn't have believed the elegance of him as a younger player. He scored one goal against Mansfield I think, or maybe Bristol Rovers, where he ran through the centre of the defence then bamboozled the keeper with a shimmy, left him on his arse and glided past him to score.

There was another moment at Macclesfield where he danced into the box past three defenders before the third one lunged in to where the ball was supposed to be going, only to find it had switched to Brown's other foot, drawing the foul and penalty effortlessly.

 I'd never seen a Rovers player with such effortless control of the ball, and quick thinking that seemed to make everyone else look like they were playing in slow motion.

If he hadn't been cursed with injuries like his dad, he'd have played 300 times in the top division. I'd say, for the standard of the time, he's the best long term loan we've ever had.

[drfchound]

Didn’t RA say only players who didn’t go on to sign for us permanently were included in his team.

[The Beast]

That is another good read, thank you.

Personally would add in there Kieron Brady, Danny Williamson, Andy Turner and a lad who was quietly but very consistently good, JJ Melligan.

When I saw Kieron Brady play for the Rovers I was absolutely obsessed, I’d never seen anyone remotely as talented, I was gutted when his Rovers stint finished and he faded out of the game.
He only played a handful of games but he remains one of my favourite ever Rovers players.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Didn’t RA say only players who didn’t go on to sign for us permanently were included in his team.

Ah, OK. I thought he meant ones like Stock who signed at the end of a loan period. Brown in 2003 was a very, very different player to Brown in 2011.

[RoversAlias]

Brown is a really interesting one and I did consider flouting my rule as he is a bit of a rare case since his loan spell was so long before he joined permanently, but ultimately I felt it better to focus on other attacking players. Plus I did include him in the Cult Figures XI a few weeks ago.

I take the point from Nick on Enda Stevens but I did think him a handy player and was disappointed we missed out on signing him permanently that summer to Pompey. This was compounded by Dickov proceeding into the following season with Taylor-Sinclair and Evina as our options at LB. Plus, you wouldn't believe how difficult I found it tracking down good loanee full backs! I couldn't find a single justifiable right back for instance, hence the formation ending up being a weird 3-4-3 with a diamond midfield which would never have worked in real life.

Some on Twitter also mentioned Danny Williamson, he was before my time but having done a bit of research into him he must've been a cracking player as he looked well on course for a very good Premier League career until injuries put paid to that. He's not someone I've heard much about from Rovers fans over the years, unlike players such as Tony Woodcock and Kieron Brady, who seem very well regarded despite only playing a handful of games for the club.

[Draytonian III]

I’ve just googled Kieron Brady and there’s a very interesting article about him and his struggle with alcoholism, also there’s a small video clip of his skills

[Donnywolf]

Another great read, I’m obviously a bit older as I’d have Tony Woodcock in there

.... and being that bit older than you I would agree 100%

Tony Woodcock is still imho THE best loan Player we have ever had and any team would have been built around him. Weve done him too death so dont want to do it again

[Branton Rover]

Jon Moncur from Spurs was one of the best loanees of the 80’s he unfortunately broke his leg whilst at Donny but he did recover and went on to have a good career in the game notably at West Ham

[Drover]

Agree with alot of the names mentioned and would add John Cornforth to the list.Looking at it the other way round,Clive Mendonca looked poor on loan for us but then went on to have a good career,and Ross McCormack was a good player,he was excellent in a few reserves games I watched him,but he struggled to to reproduce it in the first team games consistently,looking at his career after leaving us,it would be likely he would have been a great signing if we had signed him Permanently.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Good shout re Ross McCormack. One who definitely came back to haunt us.

That also reminds me of David Wheater who was here around the same time. He definitely did what it said on the tin and went on to have a good career in the top flight.

Another centre half that springs to mind was Elliott Ward who'll mostly be remembered for that glorious overhead kick at Hillsborough.

Another keeper who was excellent and also went of to play at the highest level with his parent club was Carl Ikeme. Sadly forced to retire too early.

[Chris Black come back]

Wheater is a good shout. He was excellent.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

https://youtu.be/9Cuu9IcBjgA

Both Wheater and McCormack scoring in the same game.

A good team back then with JJ Price scoring goals and Kevin Horlock looking class in midfield before injury struck. May have been McIndoes last season too.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Excellent article.

I'd add Chris Brown in 03/04. Those who only saw him as the MkII workhorse later on wouldn't have believed the elegance of him as a younger player. He scored one goal against Mansfield I think, or maybe Bristol Rovers, where he ran through the centre of the defence then bamboozled the keeper with a shimmy, left him on his arse and glided past him to score.

There was another moment at Macclesfield where he danced into the box past three defenders before the third one lunged in to where the ball was supposed to be going, only to find it had switched to Brown's other foot, drawing the foul and penalty effortlessly.

 I'd never seen a Rovers player with such effortless control of the ball, and quick thinking that seemed to make everyone else look like they were playing in slow motion.

If he hadn't been cursed with injuries like his dad, he'd have played 300 times in the top division. I'd say, for the standard of the time, he's the best long term loan we've ever had.

https://youtu.be/UX0ftneVwcQ

Will certainly jog memories.

[drfchound]

https://youtu.be/9Cuu9IcBjgA

Both Wheater and McCormack scoring in the same game.

A good team back then with JJ Price scoring goals and Kevin Horlock looking class in midfield before injury struck. May have been McIndoes last season too.

“Referee Mick Russell wasn’t a popular man”.

[idler]

I'll never understand how their fourth goal was allowed to stand. The guy so obviously looked for and then backed into Warrington who then went over his back. Andy could have been seriously injured.
Two very good games against them that season though.

[RoversAlias]

I very, very nearly put Ward in the team based solely off that goal at Wednesday which is one of my favourites seen live ever, but both he and David Wheater simply played too few games to justify a place in the end for me.

[drfchound]

I'll never understand how their fourth goal was allowed to stand. The guy so obviously looked for and then backed into Warrington who then went over his back. Andy could have been seriously injured.
Two very good games against them that season though.

Do you mean their (Mansfield’s) second goal mate?

[roversdude]

I very, very nearly put Ward in the team based solely off that goal at Wednesday which is one of my favourites seen live ever, but both he and David Wheater simply played too few games to justify a place in the end for me.

Most of the ground was very quiet when that went in lol loved that goal

[idler]

I'll never understand how their fourth goal was allowed to stand. The guy so obviously looked for and then backed into Warrington who then went over his back. Andy could have been seriously injured.
Two very good games against them that season though.

Do you mean their (Mansfield’s) second goal mate?

Well spotted hound, yes that's the one. 😳
A foul in any game with a half decent ref.