Kris Doolan wants to ensure young players on the fringes of his Partick Thistle squad receive adequate game time this season by sending them out on loan – but only if he feels the move will aid their development.
Thistle Weir Youth Academy graduates Zander MacKenzie, Ben Stanway, James Lyon and Ji Stevenson have all started first-team fixtures for the Jags this term and have regularly been involved in matchday squads, while the likes of Mason McCready and Rocco Diack could struggle for minutes at the Wyre Stadium At Firhill this season.
Four players have been signed on loan this summer – Lewis Neilson, Kerr McInroy, Ben Williamson and Tomi Adeloye – to supplement Doolan’s squad, while another four – Scott Robinson, Wasiri Williams, Blair Alston and Wes McDonald – have arrived on free transfers. The Thistle boss remains on the look-out for one more addition.
Youngsters Jamie Taggart and Sallu Turay joined West of Scotland Premier Division side Gartcairn on season-long loans on Friday and more players could follow them out the exit at Firhill – but only if the deal works to the player’s benefit.
“We’ll hopefully maybe have one more come in but I’ll start looking at where the younger ones will be on loan now,” Doolan explained, speaking shortly before Taggart and Turay joined Gartcairn.
“I want to make sure there is nobody sitting around, I want the younger ones for their own development to be playing games.
“One of the things I want to aim to do now is to make sure they’re at teams they are going to get games at, where there is a games programme there for them. I don’t think there is anything worse than young ones training and then not playing or not featuring at all.
We can today confirm that @ThistleWeir Youth Academy graduates Jamie Taggart and Sallu Turay have joined @gartcairnfc on loan for the 2023/24 season. Everyone at the club wishes Jamie and Sallu the best of luck for the duration of their loan spell!
— Partick Thistle FC (@PartickThistle) August 11, 2023
“We have a squad, we need a squad and we get that. Not everybody can start the game. But for the ones who we think longer term going out on loan is their option I want to start looking at that type of thing as well.
“Yes, I’m all about building the squad for the first team but I am still about developing our young players as well and developing our own players, I’m trying to put some focus into that as well.”
Deciding which particular club a young player could find themselves at for the season will not be a unilateral decision, however. Doolan knows that in order to make the most of the experience, a youngster has to be happy and comfortable in their new environment. The best way to ensure that, he says, is by simply discussing the matter with them.
“We have looked at some of the younger ones,” Doolan said. “I still need to speak to all of them, we’ve had some chats already.
“One of the things I’ll say to the younger ones is that there is a communication process between me and them, it is not just that we decide where they go. I want them to be comfortable wherever they go.
“I think about their travelling. They’re young boys, they’re not getting put to the other side of the country. I want them somewhere I can keep tabs on them. We can go and watch, we can find out [how they are getting on] because I’ve got a real interest in our younger players.
“That’s why they’re here, that’s why I gave them contracts and they will still be involved with us. They will still be training with the squad and still be part of being Partick Thistle players, but ultimately for their development they then have a games programme at the end of that where they will get competitive games and they play to win somewhere.”
