OAKLEY-BOOTHE DROPS DOWN TO JOIN IMPS ON LONG-TERM LOAN

TASHAN Oakley-boothe has joined Lincoln on a seasonlong loan from Stoke City. The 22-year-old midfielder, who helped England win the under-17s World Cup in 2017, joined Stoke on a free transfer from Tottenham in early 2020.

He has shown glimpses of his potential driving forward with the ball but he has not yet been able to make a real breakthrough into the first team.

A back injury frustrated his progress in 2021 and his game time last season came with the under-23s. Burton Albion had wanted to sign him on loan in January. Now he will get a shot at League One alongside former Stoke youth midfielder Lasse Sorensen and under new head coach Mark Kennedy. Kennedy, who has replaced Blackpool-bound Michael Appleton, has already brought in his first two signings of the summer, both from Bradford City, in centre-back Paudie O’connor and winger Charles Vernam.

Kennedy told the Lincoln website: “We are delighted to have been able to sign a player of Tashan’s quality and pedigree.

“He is an all-round midfielder with fantastic technical ability and athleticism who can play a massive role for us this season.

“We would like to thank Stoke City for enabling us to be able to make this happen as well as Tashan for his trust in how we can help him and his commitment in wanting to play for Lincoln City.” Oakley-boothe, below, is under contract at Stoke until next summer and will have a chance to catch Michael O’neill’s eye, as Harry Souttar was able to do while he was on loan with Fleetwood Town in League One and Connor Taylor did while helping Bristol Rovers to promotion from League Two.

He was the first player born this century to feature for Tottenham when he came off the bench in the Carabao Cup in 2017 and Spurs were keen to keep him when he moved north in the hope of game time.