Interviews

David Weir's mid-season loan report

How Albion's loan players have fared in the first half of the season.

By Charlie Hanson • 22 January 2022

By Hull City
Ryan Longman has started each of Hull City's last nine Championship matches.

Assistant technical director David Weir provided a positive report on Albion’s loan players at the midway stage of the campaign.

The 51-year-old stepped into his new role earlier this week, having previously been pathway development manager. Weir and his team kept close tabs on the players learning their trade away from the club, both in the UK and abroad.

Matt Clarke – West Bromwich Albion (Championship)

By WBA/Adam Fradgley
Matt Clarke has made 17 Championship appearances for West Brom so far this campaign.

Matt has been consistently good whenever he has played. The team has suffered a little bit results-wise, but his performances have been consistent this season and he’s liked by the hierarchy there. You’d fully expect West Brom to be in and around those top positions in the Championship by the time the season ends.

Ryan Longman – Hull City (Championship)

Ryan had a stop-start beginning at Hull because of a few little injury problems and Covid. He is playing as a wing-back at the moment which is an unfamiliar position for him, but it’s great for his education. He has shown an adaptability during a really good run for them. He scored a great goal against Everton in the FA Cup.

Jayson Molumby – West Bromwich Albion (Championship)

He’s been in and out of the team, but when he’s got in he’s been really good. He’s enjoying his time there and really likes the club and he has been a consistent performer. He wants to play every week, but there are a lot of games in the Championship and West Brom are near the top, so there’s a few different options in his position. But Jayson is developing well at a level he’s not played at before. We’re really happy.

Abdullah Sima – Stoke City (Championship)

He’s been a bit unlucky because he picked up an ankle injury when he first joined. He got back from that and now has an issue with his pelvis, so he’s back with us at the moment to put a rehabilitation plan in place. It’s good to have him in the building as when he initially signed he went straight to Stoke, so it’s ideal that we can get him familiar with how we work and do things.

Jan Paul Van Hecke – Blackburn Rovers (Championship)

He had a knock at the start of the season which delayed his arrival at Blackburn, but since then he has grown and grown and they have been very complimentary about how he has done. He has played in the centre of a back three in what has so far been a really exciting season for Blackburn. JP is a fixture in the team, so it’s been a really good loan for him so far and he’s hoping they can go all the way and get promotion.

Reda Khadra – Blackburn Rovers (Championship)

Reda was in a similar position to JP, he arrived after an injury and had to work his way into the team. He’s played a lot of minutes and had a lot of involvement in terms of goals and assists. We’re looking forward to seeing him continue to develop at a good level.

Jensen Weir – Cambridge United (League One)

Jensen has got a lot of minutes under his belt so far this campaign. He’s been impacted as well by a couple of injuries and Covid, but Cambridge have had good runs in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy. There is still a lot to play for in League One and Jensen wants to play a big role in that.

Carl Rushworth – Walsall (League Two)

By Walsall FC
The goalkeeper was called up to the England Under-21s earlier on in the campaign.

Carl has played nearly every minute for Walsall, he has been really consistent and is developing as a person and a player. They love him there, and really pleased to have him in the building. We’re looking forward to him continuing playing an important role for them. It was great to see him commit his future here as well by signing his new contract.

Teddy Jenks - Aberdeen (Scottish Premiership) 

He’s not played quite as much, but he’s contributed in terms of getting on the scoresheet a few times. Aberdeen’s manager Stephen Glass is really pleased with him and was very keen on Teddy staying. Stephen thinks he could play a big role in the second half of the season.

Alex Cochrane - Heart of Midlothian (Scottish Premiership)

By David Mollison
Alex Cochrane scored his first goal for Hearts in a 3-0 win over Livingstone.

Alex has had a really strong first half of the season for Hearts and has played a lot of minutes. The team are third in the table and they’ve just had a winter break so the second half of the season is going to be really interesting. They’ve got a lot to play for and Alex has got a big contribution to make. He has played in a few different positions and Hearts are really happy with him.

Kaoru Mitoma – Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgian First Division)

He had a really exciting first half of the season and has had a period of adaptation going from Japan to Belgium, but he has made a big impact in an unfamiliar position, playing more as a wing-back. He has shown some really good attributes and has played a good level of minutes. Union are top of the table which is exciting and they’ve got some big games coming up. Kaoru has had a little injury but will be back playing soon. We’re excited by how well he’s doing.

Leo Ostigard – Stoke City/Genoa (Championship/Serie A)

We decided to change loan club for Leo as his playing time had been stop-start and everyone felt the best decision was to find another solution. Leo had a few options, but he felt that Genoa was a really good one with them being a top-flight side in Italy. It’s been a difficult start for him because of where they are in the table, but Leo is a fighter and Genoa being in a relegation battle will play into his hands. It will be a great learning experience for him and he’s already played against the likes of AC Milan and Fiorentina.

Michal Karbownik – Olympiacos (Super League Greece)

He has had a couple of injury problems, but he has played in the last couple of games since their winter break so we’re happy with how that’s going. Olympiacos are top of the league, so it’s an exciting time for Michal to be involved. It’s been great for his development.

Andi Zeqiri – Augsburg (German Bundesliga)

Andi is playing at a really good level in the Bundesliga, they’re in a bit of a fight near the bottom, but that’s probably to be expected. Andi has got on the scoresheet a few times for them and contributed and you always get work rate and enthusiasm with him. They’re happy with him, he’s relatively close to home as well so he gets to see friends and family a bit more regularly which is good for him. It’s been a really solid loan.

Billy Arce - L.D.U. Quito (Ecuador Serie A)

Billy had a good loan spell at Quito, he picked up an injury midway through the season which was unfortunate, but he managed to play in the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores. He was successful while he was in the team which is pleasing and we look at the overall loan as a positive one for him. The loan has now ended, so we will see what the next step is for Billy.