Daly has all to play for as Carlos takes helm
ONE of the most teasing decisions for new Town head coach Carlos Corberan will be what to do with midfielder Matty Daly.
The 19-year-old has been desperate for more game time in the Town senior ranks, having been one of those who didn’t go out on loan last season.
With talent to burn, Premier League appearances and a stand-out England youth career already under his belt, Daly is tipped for big things at the John Smith’s Stadium.
But the chance for an extended run in the side just hasn’t presented itself.
So do Town and Corberan keep him close for the Championship season to come? Or does the Spaniard loan him out to develop his skills further and, if so, in what environment?
Corberan is feted for his work with younger players and, in that sense, Daly will be itching to get on the pitch at PPG Canalside come August 10.
The new boss has already made it clear the slate is clean for every member of the playing staff and has issued a rallying call to the teenagers to show him their desire to make the first team. No-one will be more keen than Daly.
It’s two years since he first put pen to paper on a contract with Town and those terms still have another year to run, with the club having the option to add a further 12 months.
He made substitute appearances against Watford and Southampton in the Premier League in the first season of that contract, but this term he’s featured just four times – all from the bench – as Town struggled to avoid a second successive relegation.
Memorably, of course, he scored his first senior goal – that dramatic late winner at Charlton which, ultimately, was huge in terms of helping the club to stay up.
He’ll be determined to push himself forward under the stewardship of Corberan, especially as he possesses the close skills, space-finding expertise and vision that the Spanish head coach likes in a player. And it’s those skills which make a loan placement more tricky than with some players.
One thing’s for sure, he certainly has the right attitude and determination, so maybe the blue and white stripes rather than any other colours beckon for 2020-21.