Spence set to stay as Wilder will not recall Boro loans
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Chris Wilder has confirmed that the club will not be recalling any of their loan players during the January transfer window, including Djed Spence, who is with Nottingham Forest.
The full-back is on a season-long loan with the Reds and has impressed in his first six months at the club.
A surge in Covid cases at Middlesbrough led to strong suggestions that the club could opt to recall Spence in order to help their own squad.
However, Forest fans’ fears were eased over the weekend with reports saying that Spence was set to stay at the City Ground.
That decision has now been confirmed by Wilder.
“We took a decision that we’re not going to recall any players out on loan,” he told Gazettelive.
“If the agreement is to the end of the season, it’s to the end of the season; if it’s to January, it’s to January.”
Spence has played a total of 21 times in the Championship so far this season after joining the club on deadline day back in August.
The decision from Wilder comes just a few days after the Middlesbrough boss said that he’d have a conversation with Cooper over the possibility of recalling Spence.
Spence is said to be happy at Forest and sent a hint that his short-term future was at the club, tagging them in a post on social media saying: “Last 6 months of 2021 has been special.
“Next year it’s only going to get better.
“New Year, Same Goals! Let’s get to work.”
In yesterday’s Championship games, Derby County’s bold survival fight continued after they snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw away against Reading.
Rams manager Wayne Rooney missed the game. He had felt unwell and remained at home, with his club saying that a Covid test had proved negative.
His side flattered to deceive in a lacklustre first-half display and went behind in the 37th minute when Junior Hoilett curled home from distance.
Hoilett struck again 11 minutes into the second half.
But Derby staged a remarkable late fightback, first reducing the deficit in the 86th minute through substitute Colin Kazim-richards and then equalising through Curtis Davies in added time.
Andrew Hughes struck a late Preston North End winner as they came from behind to win 2-1 away against Stoke City.
The Welshman, who had not scored a League goal for nearly three years, headed in Ben Whiteman’s 84th-minute corner to make it two wins out of two for new boss Ryan Lowe.
Stoke took the lead after 46 minutes courtesy of defender Ben Wilmot’s goal-of-the-season contender from 35 yards out.
But Michael O’neill’s play-off hopefuls failed to press home their advantage. Brad Potts volleyed home a spectacular equaliser after 59 minutes before an unmarked Hughes powered in the winner.