York City, Southport, Fleetwood Town – why Ben Davies’ move to Liverpool is a testament to the importance of loans
"Young players need minutes, put it on my gravestone" - unnamed scholar
On 31st January 2021, strange rumblings emerged on Twitter and in football media. Ben Davies, Preston North End’s star centre back, was linked with a shock move to Liverpool. An injury-ravaged backline meant Liverpool needed cover quickly and left-footed Davies represented the necessary option. The following day, Davies signed for the Premier League champions.
Davies' rise from Preston North End Under 18s to Premier League stardom is one which cannot be underappreciated. When Davies first came through the North End senior team, he was a skinny, nervous left back, who showed little evidence that he could break into the senior team. Fast forward to 2021, and Ben Davies is one of the best centre backs in the Championship. When Davies made his debut for North End in 2013, then-manager Graham “Medal Winner” Westley praised Davies, claiming he could become a Premier League player one day. Medal Winner was no stranger to a ludicrous comment, so North End fans scoffed at such suggestions. However, multiple loans later, Davies has developed into a stalwart; a ballplaying centre back who does not shy from a tackle. He is a Rolls Royce of a player. This development from spindly, error prone left back to classy centre half cannot be understated. The loans which Davies had were instrumental in his development, giving him confidence and experience in the physical conditions of lower league men’s football.
Davies spent loans with York City, Tranmere Rovers, Southport, Newport County and Fleetwood Town. He had good accounts from all of these clubs, making vital appearances and learning his trade. Davies returned from his final loan at Fleetwood as a starkly different player, slotting into North End’s defence as though he had never left. He made 104 appearances in his five loan spells, giving him vital experience. Ben Davies’s meteoric rise from North End Under 18 left back to Liverpool centre back can be largely accounted to these loan moves. The transformation from the kid who made his Preston debut to the one who will make his Liverpool debut is nothing short of remarkable.
Ben Davies is not the first and will certainly not be the last player to attribute career success to successful loan spells. Analysing the most recent England squad demonstrates just how important loan moves are for the development of talent. In terms of goalkeepers, Jordan Pickford enjoyed
glamour loans at football powerhouses Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End. Pickford’s form at North End earned him a Sunderland recall, with him making his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur. This start against Spurs meant that Pickford had played in the top five English divisions by the age of 21. Vital experience, which all counted towards his massive move to Everton in 2017 for £25 million. Dean Henderson famously had two highly successful loan spells with Sheffield United in the Championship and Premier League. Before this, Henderson had gone through loans at Stockport, Grimsby and Shrewsbury. Nick Pope followed a similar path, completing work experience at Harrow Borough, Welling, Aldershot, Cambridge United and York City, before injuries at Burnley gave him a chance which he grasped with both of his massive hands.
Moving further up the pitch, Reece James’ story catches the eye. James arguably single-handedly kept Wigan Athletic in the Championship, using his tenacity and leadership to drag the side to safety. James began that season as a right back, before utilising his ball-playing aspects to slot into centre midfield. James played his way into the Championship Team of the Season and won Wigan’s player of the year award. James returned to Chelsea, making his debut in September 2019. Thereafter, James has gone on to become Chelsea’s first choice right back. England’s abundance of right backs means his international chances have been limited, but he will be an important player for England for years to come. Continuing on the Chelsea track, Mason Mount has been a key player to have benefitted from loans both domestically and in Europe. A fruitful loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem (Chelsea’s ‘feeder’ club) was followed by a brilliant shift at Derby County. I remember going to Pride Park following North End, and Mount carving up the Lilywhites’ defence with silky dribbling and scything through midfield.
For the forwards, loans can be essential for toughening up and mastering the goal scoring knack. Dominic Calvert-Lewin moved from a box-to-box midfielder to a striker whilst on loan with non-league Stalybridge Celtic. Calvert-Lewin has since talked of how the physicality of that league helped him to become the physical unit he is now. Calvert-Lewin is a towering presence, scoring the most headed goals in the Premier League this season. Calvert-Lewin scored six goals in five games for Bridge, before another loan at Northampton Town under Chris Wilder saw him score eight goals. Harry Kane had nationwide loans, with Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City, before developing into the best striker in the Premier League. Tammy Abraham’s goals secured Bristol City’s Championship status whilst on loan in 2016-2017, followed by a 25-goal haul in the Championship firing Aston Villa to promotion.
Whilst loans may have been the focus of this piece, the overall importance of the English Football League (EFL) cannot be understated. Not all players are loaned out to lower league clubs, but many Premier League players begin their careers in Leagues One and Two, and the Championship. Of the most recent 22-man England squad, 15 of those players had spells in their careers in the EFL, as loans, where they began their careers or on their pathway to glory. Jamie Vardy is the classic example of this. With humble beginnings in non-league before Leicester took a punt on the former Fleetwood man, Vardy has gone on to become one of the Premier League’s best strikers. The EFL is an absolutely essential breeding ground for top quality British and Irish talent. Whilst many Premier League players come through academies and from abroad, it cannot be understated how important the EFL is.
Currently, plenty of young Premier League talents are doing the business on loan in the EFL. Liverpool's Harvey Elliot has looked exciting and sharp for Blackburn Rovers this season. Tayler Harwood-Bellis, on loan at Rovers from Manchester City, will be one to keep an eye out for. Jarrod Branthwaite is another one to impress whilst on loan at Blackburn. Marc Guehi of Chelsea has been an almost ever-present at Swansea, only missing three league games so far this term on their steamrollering run towards the top of the Championship. Ellis Simms has enjoyed a bright start to life on loan at Blackpool from Everton, scoring two goals on his debut off the bench. Ethan Laird's early form at MK Dons has impressed during his loan from Manchester United. The future is bright, and the EFL will always play a key role in realising that future talent.
Ben Davies joins the long list of former EFL talents to have made it to the promised land. As a Preston fan, I am torn on my feelings of Davies leaving. Naturally, I am disappointed that our best defender is leaving. He certainly ranks very highly in the best players I have seen wear the white shirt. However, I could not be happier for Davies. He has worked hard over the years to become one of the best in the Championship, so he more than deserves his chance to challenge himself at a higher level. That level does not get much higher than the current champions of England. I have no doubt in my mind that Davies will go on to prove himself to be a capable player at this high level, particularly in possession. He loves a diagonal and has a brilliant first touch. He is nimble and quick, able to get himself out of tricky situations with calmness and proficiency. He can step out of defence and into midfield to begin attacking play. His passing in transition is brilliant, with his exceptional vision making him a shrewd operator. Ben Davies will be sorely missed at Deepdale, but fondly remembered. Here's hoping he returns one day to once again captain the side.
“Young players need minutes, put it on my gravestone” – a scholar
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