Norwich City deal showing early signs of bucking Stockport County trend | OneFootball

The loanee has already impressed at Edgeley Park, unlike some similar past deals

Norwich City loanee Brad Hills has made a strong start to his temporary secondment to Stockport County.

The 20-year-old has appeared twice for the Hatters so far, and has impressed fans with the speed he has settled into the squad.

It seems to buck a recent trend by County of recruiting young, top-level academy defenders on loan and the players subsequently struggling to make an impact on the first team.

His performances couldn’t have come at a better time for County.

Hills has impressed at Stockport County so far

The defender started and played the full 90 minutes in County’s games against Barnsley and Bristol Rovers.

His defensive work was needed, with the games being a tight win and draw respectively, and he was one of the main names on fans’ lips following the back-to-back encounters.

On both occasions, he made the most tackles of anyone on the pitch, and in his debut against the Tykes, he also won the most duels, racking up a staggering 12 across the game.

It looks as though manager Dave Challinor has another genuine first-team option moving forward with the introduction of Hills.

So much of County’s recruitment has been impressive, including loan deals, with Louie Barry the obvious example of what the club can achieve with temporary deals.

But one area that has left a little to be desired is loan deals in defensive areas.

Just in recent years, County have brought in the likes of Will Fish and Rhys Bennett from Manchester United, and Alfie Pond from Wolverhampton Wanderers, all to much fanfare, but all three struggled in their battle for minutes.

Crucially, and in contrast to that trio of deals, Hills has arrived having recently completed a full senior season with League Two outfit Accrington Stanley — that extra added bit of experience may prove to be the difference.

If so, Hills could become the blueprint for future such deals.

Norwich City loanee’s arrival at Edgeley Park was well-timed

Something else that may have aided Hills’ start is the window of opportunity open when he arrived.

It’s been no secret that the Hatters have been low on defensive numbers in recent weeks, with the injury of Fraser Horsfall leaving Ethan Pye as the only fit out-and-out central defender in the squad.

That’s why Hills has been brought in, and why he has found opportunities so quickly — it was down to him to take those chances, and he certainly seems to have done so.

Challinor will be delighted that the defender’s start has gone so well, as he’s incredibly short on defensive options, meaning Hill might have a lot of responsibility in the final few months of the season.

The Hatters are flying high in the play-off places in the third tier, having only been promoted last season, but another injury in the backline could have derailed that campaign before Hills’ arrival.