Ben Close goes on loan to Eastleigh

[Chris Black come back]

Seems he wants to head closer to home. Don’t blame him for wanting football and maybe a family move but we only gave him a new deal in the summer. Odd decision to do that on probably good money for us.

As an aside, Eastleigh signed Deji Sotana in the summer and the lad got an ACL injured in early August and hasn’t played since.

[Filo]

I wouldn’t have thought this eases the wage bill very much, if at all

[jm291]

Should have gone in the summer. Hope he has a good loan and gets a permanent move in the next window

[Chris Black come back]

You would imagine he is still among our higher earners.

[Branton Rover]

I always thought Close would be better in a higher not lower division, the rough and tumble of league two is a bit too much for him.

The irony being I think his best game this season was away at Stadium MK

[Northants Nomad]

Shouldn't see this as anything to do with reducing the wage bill in the immediate term. He may still cost us money, but it gets him game time, makes him visible to other teams and may get him a move in summer. Sitting at our club on the bench saves us nothing, and gains us nothing.

[GazLaz]

I wouldn’t have thought this eases the wage bill very much, if at all

He won’t be going there for free.

[drfchound]

I always thought Close would be better in a higher not lower division, the rough and tumble of league two is a bit too much for him.

The irony being I think his best game this season was away at Stadium MK

The good performance at MKD isn’t a surprise to me as they are more of a footballing team rather than being like Harrogate for example who are very physical and play a spoiling game.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It's unlikely this move is driven on financial grounds and just as in the case with Jon Taylor, it wouldn't be safe to assume he's one of our top earners. The 3 year contract is an indication he'll be on a lower basic meaning his slice of the annual budget is probably less than what we might assume.

[Alan Southstand]

I thought Close and Westbrook got 2 year deals? Or are you referring to Taylor?

[Chris Black come back]

He is on a two year deal, expiring June 2026.

What he is earning in a given year is not the full story. For budgeting purposes, we are committed to paying him x amount over the course of his contract. That will be a decent sum of money. He's an experienced League One player. To try and offload him means we are going to have to rely on either someone broadly matching those terms, him taking a pay cut or us subsidising in some form the difference between his current deal and the one from his new employers, e.g. we don't take a transfer fee for his move and this effectively becomes the subsidy. Once he signed his deal with us, the risk transfers to us.

[ncRover]

I always thought Close would be better in a higher not lower division, the rough and tumble of league two is a bit too much for him.

The irony being I think his best game this season was away at Stadium MK

His game needs more time and space on the ball and he’ll get plenty of that in the National League.

[Ian Nimmo]

Looking like he is thinking about a future away from rovers, which if this is the case its unfortunate.
Ben is a good player, but it’s been a long slog following his last injury, which was caused by a very nasty challenge from a player who should have seen red.

If we are not to see him again, i wish him all the best.

[GazLaz]

He can play in L1. He’s proven that. Monstrous signing for a NL team.

[Nudga]

I could see him somewhere like Swindon next season. 

[steve@dcfd]

He’s gone closer to what was or is his home. He’s already been on loan to Eastleigh when he was at Portsmouth.

[Goole Rover]

Shouldn't see this as anything to do with reducing the wage bill in the immediate term. He may still cost us money, but it gets him game time, makes him visible to other teams and may get him a move in summer. Sitting at our club on the bench saves us nothing, and gains us nothing.

Thats as stated by GM in todays Yorkshire Post.

[jmt23]

The questions should be why? Why did you give some players you seemingly didnt want a new contract.

The midfield has been problematic for a few years now, with maybe only Bailey looking like who Grant wants.

What is certain to me is, we will need far better quality in the level above.

[ForsolongaRover]

The questions should be why? Why did you give some players you seemingly didnt want a new contract.

The midfield has been problematic for a few years now, with maybe only Bailey looking like who Grant wants.

What is certain to me is, we will need far better quality in the level above.

The best interpretation you can place on Close is that he has qualities which appeal to professionals in the game, managers and players alike. From the outside looking in, an extra year on his contract might have been understandable, based on the hope that he would overcome the physical and psychological impact of injuries. Against this, it seems fairly clear that he has never been particularly resilient and is naturally cautious, so on balance it would have required quite a transformation to convert what was not much better than hope into reality.

[Chris Black come back]

Close starts this afternoon, away at Altrincham in FA Trophy fifth round.

[steve@dcfd]

Eastleigh lose the FA trophy game with Close starting and getting subbed

[RoversInSpain]

Right up there with Alford, Jackson and a fair few others that came with a decent CV as our most disappointing signing ever.
Best news this season we’ve lumped him on someone else.
Good luck Eastleigh and thank you so much.