City Secure Promising Young Striker on Loan

Image Credit: Andrew Vaughan / Lincoln City

City have today completed the signing of highly-rated young Crystal Palace striker Luke Plange on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The move has been on the cards for some time, a source close to myself told me that Luke was present at the game at the weekend and reports on Sunday and this morning accelerated quickly and we saw Alan Nixon and various other outlets confirm today that the Imps were leading the race to sign the striker after he was recalled from his loan spell abroad in the Belgium Second Division, with RWD Molenbeek. Plange becomes City’s seventh loan deal in the current squad, despite only five being permitted in the matchday squad and is seen as a direct replacement for the recently departing Tom Hopper until the end of the season.

Luke moved to Derby County after spending some time in the youth ranks with Arsenal. He impressed with the Rams in his debut season despite difficult circumstances at Pride Park under Wayne Rooney. His impressive performances at Derby earned him a move to Premier League side Crystal Palace but he stayed with Derby on loan until the end of the season. As first professional seasons go, Luke had a pretty decent one notching in four goals in his nineteen starts for the Rams in the Sky Bet Championship.

Plange has shown a fantastic work rate, discipline, and commitment to team play in his time at Derby last year. When needed, he helps out in defence as well by defending from the front or dropping back into his own teams half. He is not the biggest in stature and is certainly not imposing, but he is strong on his feet and has shown he can do well in battles against experienced and massive Championship defenders. In terms of technical ability, he can take on defenders, link up with his teammates, drift out wide, and make intelligent runs in behind the defensive line.

Plange has pedigree and he has been improved by one of the all time greats in Wayne Rooney, and when he signed for Crystal Palace twelve months ago he made it clear that the England all-time top goalscorer had made a real impact on his game, “I’m taking tips and he’s helping me grow as a striker, and all the things he’s telling me I’m just trying to implement into my game and improve as a striker as well.”

As I’ve alluded to above, Luke becomes our seventh loan player in the squad, which seems to be the end of Tashan Oakley-Boothe at the club. Six loans is manageable but seven is simply a no-go and while it is a shame that is hasn’t worked out for Tashan, I think we have a player in Luke that can make more of an impact on the starting eleven going into the final four months of the League One campaign and help us stay in the division.

Luke will wear the number nine shirt, that has been left vacant by recently departing skipper Hopper, and he spoke to the Official Lincoln City website about his move today.

“It’s always an honour to put on the No.9 shirt and I can’t wait to get going. I’ve met the lads already and I’m ready to get straight into training and start preparing for the first game. I feel good and I’m ready to get started.

“I’ve seen a lot of young players progress at this club and I want to do as well as I can back in  English football now. I’m a versatile forward who likes to run behind a lot, but I can also come in for the ball to feet. I can finish with  my left or right foot, or with my head.”