Louis looks set for big future in senior game
Daniel Brown meets Linnets’ popular loanee Louis Hayes
LOUIS Hayes had a taste of the big time as a youngster in the Academy set up at Blackburn Rovers – and having rediscovered his love of football, he looks on the right path to taste it again as a senior player.
The youngster started his career at former Premier League Champions, Blackburn Rovers where he resided in their academy from a young age after going on trial at both Burnley and Blackburn but ultimately choosing The Rovers as his destination.
“It was surreal really, I’ve never really been involved with anything like that obviously with all the facilities they have there and getting to play teams like Man City,” he said.
“I’m proud of getting to play for them obviously with them being such a big club, they won the Premier League so it was surreal to be honest.”
In 2017, Hayes left Blackburn and joined the Chester FC academy where he would meet long time manager Cal McIntyre for the first time and start a new adventure transitioning over to the illustrious Chester Academy.
He stated: “It was a little bit different obviously but it was probably one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
Like a lot of young players who have been released by an academy, Hayes lost his passion to play football.
“When I got released by Blackburn, I didn’t really want to play football, I was considering what was next for me obviously getting released by a big club like that.”
The young midfielder bounced back from the release when he joined Chester as he joined many other young hopefuls that may have been released by the first club but now have hope once again under the watchful eye of Cal McIntyre.
“I enjoyed my football again when I moved to Chester and ever since I’ve been there, I’ve loved every minute of it so I’m glad that I ended up at Chester, it’s the best decision I’ve made.”
Hayes impressed
● enough in the academy to warrant a call up to the first team at Chester meaning he would make his debut in senior football.
Chester have an outstanding reputation for their development of youth team players as well as signing their young players to senior deals to ensure they are developing at a much quicker pace as well experiencing the ups and downs of senior football early on.
He once again impressed in pre-season for the Blues which led to him being offered a firstteam contract at the club alongside notable Linnets names such as Stuart Crilly and Cain Noble, this signalled the start of his senior football career.
“It’s everything that you want as a kid, everyone wanted to be a professional football player and I finally signed my deal at Chester,” he said.
“It was a really proud moment for me because it’s everything I’ve dreamed of so I was delighted with that.”
After signing his first senior contract with Chester, Hayes would be sent out on loan to Burscough before being recalled to be sent out on a 28-day loan to Bamber Bridge in the Northern Premier Division.
Chester are known for sending their young players out on loan to gain first team senior football to help their development which has been proven to be a success so far, so these loan moves were a big opportunity for Hayes to gain valuable experience at a young age.
“At Burscough, I wasn’t really made to feel welcome but just to be able to play first-team games was what was really important, I really enjoyed it,” he said.
In November 2019, Hayes signed on an initial short-term loan to the Linnets which was later extended until the end of the 2019-20 season after impressing at the club and instantly becoming a fan favourite at the Linnets.
“I was surprised – nice changing rooms, nice clubhouse, it was really good,” said Hayes “I loved the manager, I got to play a lot and I really enjoyed my time there.”
This would be the first of two loan spells at the Linnets for Hayes as he returned to Runcorn for the 2020-21 season much to the delight of the fans but this time under very different circumstances as his former academy boss Cal McIntyre as well as Chester scholar team mates Iwan Murray and Stuart Crilly also joining the club.
“I was made up because obviously I know Cal from Chester so I know what he expects from me, the way that we play and the way that he sets up his team,” said Hayes.
“I was going to come back either way to Runcorn at the beginning of the season but especially with it being Cal, it made it a lot easier as he knows me and I know him.”
This season has been Hayes’ second in senior football and without a doubt he has proven that he belongs at this level even at a young age as he’s adapted to the men’s game seemingly effortlessly.
“It’s a lot quicker, more physical, I’d say the physicality of the game from the academy to the senior level is something you need to get used to and probably the biggest difference,” he said.
Hayes is still a Chester player with his contract at the Linnets only being a loan deal, meaning the well-known and respected Chester managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley will be keeping a close eye on the progression of the young player.
“I’ve been training with them whilst Runcorn haven’t been training, I always talk to them and I have good contact with them and recently I’ve seen them on a regular basis,” he said.
Hayes has had some great moments at the Linnets during his loan spells at the club even with the stop start nature of the season, he has become a huge part of the club as well as becoming a favourite among the Linnets faithful who voted him as their ‘Linnets Player of the Year’.
Whether supporters get to see Hayes play for the Linnets again is something we can’t predict right now, but one thing we can for sure predict is this young player has a bright future ahead of him with both his skills on the pitch and his attitude both on and off the pitch securing him as one to watch for the future.