Photo: Andrew Vaughan/Lincoln City FC
Jay Benn left Lincoln City today on a loan deal until the end of the season to League of Ireland side, Bohemians.
Jay joined City from Halifax Town in the summer and the bright prospect made his debut for the club in a three goal win at Barnsley in the Papa John’s Trophy earlier in the season. Jay has struggled with injuries since then, and has missed opportunities in the cup competitions due to that. With City now knocked out of all cup competitions, it looks unlikely that Jay would be able to earn valuable first-team minutes so he has headed out on loan.
Jay follows fellow Imps, Freddie Draper and Elicha Ahui who are also out on loan in Ireland but with Drogheda United. The departure follows a trend of our trust in the Irish football divisions, with Sean Roughan and Sam Long both developing on loan there last season and the signing of Danny Mandroiu in the summer and Dylan Duffy in the most recent transfer window. The Imps have an Irish core at the club some would say with Mark Kennedy, Roughan, Paudie O’Connor, Mandroiu, Oisin Gallagher and Mide Shodipo currently all at the football club.
City’s director of football Jez George said: “It has been a frustrating first half of the season for Jay, with an injury that took time to resolve and a lack of regular football, which this loan will provide.
“Their manager Declan Devine came over to meet Mark and I earlier in the season and we are delighted to work with Bohemians, a club renowned for producing many players and their passionate fanbase.
“The fact that their league also plays through the summer gives Jay the opportunity to emulate Sean Roughan after his loan at Drogheda and hit the ground running in pre-season and challenge for a place in our starting eleven next season.”