Rebels sign Lomas from Canaries u23s
Slough Town FC: Louis joins on season-long loan after Rowdies setback
Slough Town have signed Norwich City’s u23s player Louis Lomas on a season-long loan deal and Neil Baker has been impressed with what he’s seen so far from a player who can drop into any position across the back four.
The Rebels aren’t in the market for marquee signings this summer, they simply don’t have the money to do that, but they’ve utilised their contacts to bring in players they believe can make them stronger.
Lomas is one of those players, and a chance meeting between Baker and Louis’ dad Andy last season has paved the way for the 19-year-old’s move to the club.
The teenager has been a regular in the Canaries u23s team this season and had recently signed a year’s loan to Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship – the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The outbreak of COVID-19 saw this move cut short but has opened the window for a season long loan to the Rebels.
Louis has been training with the club in recent weeks and impressed Baker and Jon Underwood playing at left back in the side’s last three friendlies.
He is eligible to play in all of the club’s cup competitions this season.
“I went up to Norwich last season to see a lad who was playing for Fulham’s u23s, and they ended up putting him on the bench, so at the time I wasn’t overly happy,” said Baker. “I ended up talking to a guy who happened to say his son was playing for Norwich. We got talking and he mentioned that he used to play for Chesham and Barnet.
“My dad also played for Chesham and he said, ‘who’s your dad?’ and I said Keith Baker, and he told me he was Andy Lomas, who I used to warm up with when I was a kid.
“His son impressed me that night, and when his loan to the Tampa Bay Rowdies was curtailed because of coronavirus we got in touch about a year’s loan here.
“He can play anywhere across the back four and we’ve been really pleased with what we’ve seen from him so far. He’s still young and has a lot to learn, but he wants to learn, and he lives reasonably close by and we just felt it was a good option so we’re really happy with that.”
Baker added: “We’ve got another lad who’s been trialling with us. He’s got an ankle problem now so we can’t really do anything until we get some idea on that.
“We like what he’s done so far and there are another couple in the u23s who’ve also done well.
“Are we going to be bringing in loads of other players? No, we can’t afford to. There’s so much uncertainty, it’s a tough time for any non-league football club.
“Unless you’ve got a sugar daddy who’s willing to underwrite any losses it’s a difficult time for non-league clubs.”