According to the Hull Daily Mail, Hull City have allowed 19-year-old goalkeeper Charlie Andrew to join non-league outfit Alfreton Town on a one-month loan deal to let the youngster further his development away from the KCOM Stadium.
The teenage shot-stopper has spent time on loan at non-league sides Pickering Town and Bradford Park Avenue in recent times and his latest chance to fly the nest and gain regular exposure comes at National League North outfit Alfreton Town.
A youth product of Hull City, Charlie Andrew is yet to make the transition from the academy ranks to the senior level but he is held in high regard by the coaching staff at the KCOM Stadium and has been tipped by many to go on and ply his trade at the highest level in the years to come.
The 19-year-old, who impressed with a string of fine displays between the sticks during his loan stint at Pickering Town, is regarded as a bright emerging prospect at Hull City, having won the Tigers’ Academy Player of the Year Award for the 2017-18 season.
Andrew made 60 appearances for the club’s youth and development sides across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons and earned rave reviews for his rapid progress, although he has found it difficult to stake a claim for a call-up to the senior ranks due to stiff competition for places.
Veteran David Marshall, who was the undisputed No.1 under former manager Nigel Adkins last season, departed the club to join Wigan Atheltic upon the expiry of his contract earlier in the summer but Hull City are still quite well-stocked in their goalkeeping department.
George Long has established himself as the first-choice under Grant McCann, with the former Sheffield United star starting each of the Tigers’ first seven league fixtures in the Championship thus far this term, while Matt Ingram and Will Mannion continue to make up the numbers in the ranks.
To put things into perspective, it doesn’t require a professional analyst to figure out that Hull City have done the right thing by shipping out Charlie Andrew on a loan spell to Alfreton Town.
A brief stint in non-league football should toughen him up, both physically and mentally, and allow the teenager to get more regular minutes under his belt.
Truth be told, with three goalkeepers already competing for a place in the first-team, Andrew’s prospect of graduating to the senior ranks looked bleak and a loan spell looks like a progressive step in his development curve.
The 19-year-old continues to be a bright emerging prospect but he is still very much a work in progress and needs a lot of polishing to make the jump to Grant McCann’s senior side at the KCOM Stadium.
The National League North is nowhere as competitive as the Championship but regular minutes should work wonders for his development, nevertheless.
All in all, a loan deal looks completely justified from the perspective of both parties involved and Hull City will be hoping that the teenager comes back a lot stronger than before.
The Premier League run-in, the backend of the title race for Manchester City sees them…
Everton is having a bad season so far, from their poor form in the league…
Communication is the heartbeat of any successful soccer team. On the field, amidst the flurry…
In the annals of football history, few names evoke as much reverence and admiration as…
Are you new to the world of football betting and would you like to take…
If you are into sports betting, staying ahead of the game is crucial. One way…