Fleetwood Town young guns Tom Donaghy and Dylan Boyle have both made impressive starts to their respective loan spells at Farsley Celtic and Bamber Bridge.
The Development Squad duo have recently signed and made debuts for their loan clubs, Tom Donaghy signing for National League North side Farsley Celtic until January, and Dylan Boyle joining Northern Premier side Bamber Bridge on an initial month-long loan, we caught up with them to see how’ve they’ve found their first experience of playing senior football:
TD – “I have really enjoyed my loan move so far. I was apprehensive at first as I didn’t know what to expect, having not played at the level before. However, I feel I’ve settled in quickly and feel I’m improving bits with each game I play”
DB – “Similar to Tom, I’ve really enjoyed my loan so far. It’s early days but feel like it’s put me outside of my comfort zone and playing men’s football. It’s competitive and I’m enjoying fighting for 3 points each game.”
At only 18-years old, goalkeeper Donaghy has been full of experiences, playing against ex-Football League clubs Hereford and Chester, taking four points out of the first two games.
TD – “The first two games of the season have been full of everything. I’ve played against Hereford in front of 2,000 fans and saving a penalty to hang onto the 3 points, and Chester brought a good following who were behind my goal and doing everything to distract me.
“Obviously, Birdy has joined us now, he’s an athletic defender who isn’t afraid to get stuck in. He’s also a great lad who I’m sure will do well here.
“I’ve learnt loads already. The main thing is having to adapt my game to suit the style of play. It’s more direct than what I’m used to, therefore I’m not playing out from the back as much, so it means my kicking out of my hands and off the floor has to be consistent.
“Concentration is also important and having to manage games – I can’t afford to make silly mistakes and cost us points. Overall, I’ve been really welcomed so far and feel like one of the lads. I’m just want to keep playing as many games as I can.”
19-year-old midfielder ‘Boyley’ has had a jam packed first couple of weeks as a ‘Brig’ player, playing games vs Buxton, Hyde, and Gainsborough, before a Tuesday night trip to Morpeth this week.
DB – “I feel I’ve settled in well so far and I’m really enjoying the competitive nature of it, playing for 3 points. It also helps that there’s a few familiar faces as there’s a strong Fleetwood connection at Bamber.
“I’ve learnt loads from their manager, Jamie Milligan - he played in my position and knows what it takes to play league football, I’m learning how to adapt my game to deal with different types of opposition and styles of play.
“We also have Mark Yeates there too, he’s a full-time coach at Fleetwood so I see him every day, he’s had a great career and playing with him has enabled me to pick up a lot of learning points to try and implement into my own game. It’s good to be able to reflect on games with him too and shows there’s always someone from Fleetwood who can feedback on my performances.”
On the progress made by the two players from the Development Squad already, the Club’s Loans Manager Stuart Murdoch had this to say: “The progress both Dylan and Tom have made whilst being out on loan has been excellent.
“They’ve both experienced playing in front of bigger crowds and it’s an important part of the next stage of their development. We are delighted with the feedback we have received from the respective loan clubs, both of whom we are developing a strong relationship with.
“In addition to Tom & Dylan, we have arranged for Sam Bird to join Farsley for an initial month’s loan. This comes from our ongoing relationship with Farsley, and we look forward to supporting his development over the next four-weeks.”