Most Reds fans would agree that one of the more pleasant surprises from last season was the huge strides made by Jay Spearing. The 22 year old went from being one of the doomed fringe players to Steven Gerrard’s first team replacement in the space of a few months. However, with central midfield already looking overcrowded coupled with the fact that we are being linked to yet more central midfielders, the future is again starting to look bleak for our number 26.
It is a shame for Spearing as it now looks like the competition for places in midfield may be a bit too much for him to get decent match time. The fact that he was awarded a new contract in May however shows that for now at least he does remain very much a part of Kenny Dalglish’s long term plans. Considering the competition for places along with his new contract, it seems that the most logical outcome for Jay Spearing next season would be to send him on loan to another Premier League team.
A season-long loan spell really is a win-win situation for all parties as he could gain valuable first team experience for an entire campaign while also ensuring that his stock rises should we ever need to sell him. He’s never exactly been known as a gem but Jay Spearing proved last season that he can be relied upon to perform in high intensity games and it was a pleasure to see his confidence in the middle of the field grow with each starting XI appearance.
I recall Jay Spearing stating in an interview a few years ago that Rafa Benitez was trying to mould him into a holding midfielder and the tenacity in his tackling at times has shown that there is definitely potential for him to be effective in this position. One thing to consider is that with Lucas being the only specialist defensive midfielder currently at the club, there is actually room for Spearing to stake his claim to be Lucas Leiva’s first choice understudy next season.
At the risk of sounding sensationalist, next season could be a make or break year for Jay Spearing. He’s shown that the talent is there, and it is now time for him to show that he can use that talent to improve as a player.
With Liverpool currently looking a bit overstaffed in the midfield area I believe that it would be most beneficial for Spearing to gain regular match time on loan next season. As I mentioned before, we have nothing to lose. If he does well, we can consider him for our future plans as a reliable squad member. If he doesn’t do well enough to hold down a place in Liverpool’s squad we can sell him for a decent fee. Being out on loan often reveals a lot about where a player’s career is heading, and I’m hopeful that Jay Spearing can go on to give Kenny Dalglish even more of a selection headache when it comes to Liverpool’s midfield.
Whether he has the ability to make it at Liverpool remains to be seen, but a full season of Premier League appearances for a smaller club would no doubt reveal a lot about Spearing’s character and his chances of succeeding at this level.
Written by Mark Wilson for Live4Liverpool.com. Follow us on twitter @live4Liverpool or like us on Facebook
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Mark the headline is unfair. While we may have great numbers in midfield at the moment, we have not got great quality with midfield players such as Cole, Poulsen, Shelvey (loan) and even Meireles looking likely to leave. While Henderson has come in and Adam, who I have my doubts about but what does my opinion matter compared to Kenny’s, looks likely to come. If this happens then we’ll have 5 central midfielders in Stevie, Henderson, Lucas, Adam and Jay which may seem one to many but it is possible that Henderson and Adam may play wide, I’m not advocating it, you also have to figure Kenny may well play 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 next season. So I’m sure if we don’t go and buy a defensive midfielder, something we may still need as I still believe Lucas is a better box to box player than a holder (great though he’s done there), Jay will get plenty of games this season.
Talented? It’s soccer, not NFL man. You need skill to play this game.