Scout Report – Ricky Holmes
Ricky Holmes has completed a £400,000 move to Sheffield United from Charlton Athletic and Addicks fans are not happy. Holmes agreed a two-and-a-half year deal with United over the weekend but the player has received a lot of criticism from Charlton fans on social media, having signed a new three-year deal with them just last summer.
However, the player quite rightly points out that when a club puts a bid in for you and your club accepts it and wants the fee, you can rightly feel that they are happy to take the money and see you go. Why should Holmes stay at a lower level with precious little time in his career left? Well, he has decided not to and has joined the Blades, looking to help them reach the Premier League. Here’s what we know about him:
History
Holmes was born in Essex and has spent pretty much his whole career in the south, with this move representing a big change for the 30-year-old. Having learned his trade with Fairfax Rangers, he moved on to Southend United and then to Chelmsford City as a youth, before the non-league side offered him first-team football.
He went on to score 49 league goals for Chelmsford before moving to Barnet where he was less successful. A move to Portsmouth followed, but having scored just twice in 53 league games, he was sent out again, this time to Northampton Town, where he spent a year.
Since 2016 though, Holmes has been a Charlton Athletic player and has rather belatedly found his touch, scoring 19 league goals for the Addicks in 58 matches from out wide, which brought him to the attention of the Blades.
Style Of Play
Playing mostly down the left wing, Holmes is adept at getting by the full-backs and playing in quality deliveries, though his own final touch is nothing to be sniffed at these days given that he has scored 6 league goals this term in League One.
Holmes’ Future
At 30, time is now limited for Holmes, and so a long-term career at the top is simply not an option anymore. However, his most recent form entitles him to have a crack at his highest level to date – the Championship, and I’m certain he’ll do his bit to help Sheffield United get to the Premier League.
Should they manage promotion, it’s hard to imagine Holmes at the top level but if his fitness remains at current levels, he may yet improve a few more percent and complete what would be a fairytale story.