In a good bout of de ja vu, Reserve Sunderland striker Ryan Noble could be going back to Derby as Nigel Clough hopes to execute his loan-trick a little better than last time.
Product of the Black Cats academy system Noble, who has been in piping hot form for Sunderland’s reserve side after netting 9 goals from 7 games since recovering from a back injury, has been told by new boss Martin O’Neil that he can move on loan to gain first-team experience, and it is reported that Derby have won the race to sign the 20 year old on a temporary basis, again.
It seems that Derby manager Clough may have built up a sweet obsession with Noble after bringing him to Pride Park once before, however injury cut that particular spell short and now his goal-scoring record in the reserve league, where he has hit 3 hat-tricks in four games, including a four goal salvo against Manchester United in front of a watching O’Neil, has proved to be too much for a smitten Clough to ignore.
Little nipper Noble has struggled to make an impression on the Sunderland first team having made only 2 senior appearances, but it is believed that he was rated highly by former manager Steve Bruce and coming from the same academy that produced such kiddies like James McClean, Martyn Waghorn, Jordan Henderson and Jack Colback, he is part of an impressive batch of talent.
Noble has also been on an equally futile trip to the Championship with Watford two years ago, but failed to make a single first team appearance. It is not clear how long Clough would want to have Noble for, but reports suggest he is keen on just one month, meaning that Noble can’t be thinking about getting too settled in the fine industrial town of the East Midlands.
The main question is though; with Derby having more strikers than a country ruled by Margaret Thatcher, does Clough really need to bring another striker in on such a short-term basis? There is no doubt that Derby’s squad is top-heavy, they already have Nathan Tyson, Callum Ball, Theo Robinson, Jamie Ward, Mason Bennett and Chris Maguire fighting it out for the starting spots, while I’ll just recapture my breath to include Tomasz Cywka too, who could be on his way out of Pride Park if Clough manages to capture Noble. Mason Bennett may also be tipped to move out on loan if Clough re-unites with his long-term admiration.
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