Who's the best player we've had on loan and never signed?

[vegster]

Sidwell.

Deffo.

 

[armchairclubber]

Thought Ade Akinbiyi slipped through our fingers at the time, was available for about £200,000 and later went for £5 million

 

[Norman Potting]

Martin Keown. Even as a lad I could tell he oozed class but we didn't have the £50-100k they wanted for him at the time.

Add it to the long list of mistakes made by the club owners I the late 80's, early 90's.

This - wasn't he loan for two seasons, it seemed like?

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

He wasn't a loanee - he was a free agent when he played for us

Have to agree with Keown although Brian Dear had a pretty awesome period with us; scored goals for fun. Steve Cotterill and Paul Moulden didn't do too badly either

Pretty sure he wasn't a free agent as Southampton paid a fee.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Bridge

 

[Gwylan]

Pretty sure he wasn't a free agent as Southampton paid a fee.

Hmm... just checked on Wikipedia and this tells me that Sergei wasn't on loan but played for us as a non-contract player, however, it also says that Saints paid a fee for him. It doesn't say to whom though.

My memory is that he wasn't a loan player but it was more than 20 years ago

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Hmm... just checked on Wikipedia and this tells me that Sergei wasn't on loan but played for us as a non-contract player, however, it also says that Saints paid a fee for him. It doesn't say to whom though.

My memory is that he wasn't a loan player but it was more than 20 years ago

Dinamo Minsk

Here:
http://thegoldstonewrap.com/2013/10/09/sergei-superstar/

 

[spring hall convert]

Dickov was a class above at the time.

I'd forgotten that one, good shout.

We had him when he was a kid, was he at Arsenal at the time? He was very highly rated I seem to remember.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

You lot have short memories. It has to be the one, the only, the Belarusian midfield maestro, the euro finalist and Goldstone legend.....Sergei Gotsmanov.

Don't always agree with you Sergei...but on this you 100% right.

 

[Simster]

I remember thinking Abdul Razak was the greatest player I'd ever seen. For that one game.

Ah yes, he beat Ipswich on his own. Lovely to see, after those twunts turned up with their crap nonsensical banner.

 

[Doc Lynam]

I'd forgotten that one, good shout.

We had him when he was a kid, was he at Arsenal at the time? He was very highly rated I seem to remember.

Yeah Arsenal, tenacious player with a touch of class. Didn't we look into buying him but same old story no readies at the time?

 

[Boroseagull]

Brad Johnson

 

[Gwylan]

Dinamo Minsk

Here:
http://thegoldstonewrap.com/2013/10/09/sergei-superstar/

Fair enough. Although your blog (and Tim Carder's book) has him "on trial" with us rather than "on loan". Don't see what the difference is but that's probably where I got the idea he wasn't a loanee

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Paul Moulden and Steve Cotterill weren't bad, but realistically Bridge.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Lloyd Owusu.

Or was he a free agent?

 

[e77]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Lloyd Owusu.

Or was he a free agent?

According to the (admittedly sometime incorrect) Wikipedia, he was on loan from Cheltenham.

I seem to recall him being offered a deal (after him and Harty formed a great partnership) but he fancied going to Australia.

 

[Northstandite]

Bridge

Agreed. A class act ... near perfect as a defender, great offensively, his pace was still immense at Championship level, and always linked well with whoever was in front of him down the left wing.

 

[Cappers]

Yep and roy keane?

Didn't the manager at the time have to pick between Paul McCarthy and Roy Keane? We all know what happened

 

[John Byrnes Mullet]

Sidewall, Keown, Dickov, Bridge... How about a best ever team of loan players? I think Danny Wilson may have been on loan before we signed him.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Zamora

Spot on.

If only we'd signed him after that initial loan spell