GIVE LADS BREAK , SAYS EAGER JOSH
LIFE as a young player attempting to elbow your way into a first team is fraught with peril – something that on-loan Bury midfielder Josh Laurent knows all too well.
At 22, Laurent has been at seven different clubs, three in loan spells, but the midfielder has made little more than 50 league appearances.
Laurent was a product of the QPR academy but opted to leave in 2015 as he went in search of regular football.
Rangers’ head of football operations Les Ferdinand revealed at the time that he had been unable to convince Laurent of a pathway from the academy into the R’s first team squad.
Faith
Laurent said: “I think it’s very difficult for youngsters. There’s a lot of talent in these youth teams. Some of the players blame themselves for not pushing hard enough to get into a first team, but I think clubs need to trust them more.
“When a manager has trusted a young player in the past, they’ve gone on to do really well. I do think the talent is there, but you need someone to trust you and push you, otherwise it’s wasted.
“You get a handful of bosses who will trust young players. It’s hard because a lot have their jobs on the line. There’s a lot of pressure on these people.
“You have a lot of youth players who want it badly and they don’t want to let anyone down, but they need the opportunity to shine.”
After impressing with Hartlepool last season, Laurent was snapped up by Wigan this summer but was shipped out to Bury for the entire campaign on deadline day.
It has been a tumultuous season for the Shakers, who are languishing in the relegation zone and were dumped out of the FA Cup by Non-League Woking in midweek (see p43).
Laurent is trying to keep a positive mindset and, despite the sacking of manager Lee Clark last month – with Ryan Lowe named interim boss – Laurent believes he has settled in well.
“The results haven’t gone our way lately, but I think there’s enough quality in the squad to push up the table. The boys have made me feel welcome,” he said.
“When you’re on loan, I think a lot of people feel like you’re not committed to the club but, to me, it feels like it’s my club. You have to impress the manager and teammates every single day.
Committed
“Jermaine Beckford has been great to learn from. He’s played at a higher level and knows what it takes to be there. He’s always talking to me and trying to help me.
“Becks tells me to keep my confidence up and keep believing in myself. He tells me to play with no fear.”
Along with his current loan stint, Laurent has had temporary spells at Braintree in 2014 and Newport in 2015. The Londoner has worked under a host of managers and admits life as a loanee has been difficult.
“Being on loan for a season or being somewhere for just a year is difficult, but it is something I’ve got used to,” said Laurent.
“You’ve always got a new manager who has different beliefs and plays different ways. You’re always having to adapt.
“The main thing is that you keep faith in your own ability. That’s what attracts these clubs to pick you up.”