The defender for Bristol City, Haydon Roberts, has acknowledged that he investigated leaving on loan in January, but Liam Manning decided not to approve the transfer.
Roberts was a young player signed by Bristol City during the summer transfer window. After leaving Brighton & Hove Albion after an important loan spell with League One side Derby County in the 2022–2023 season, he signed on a free transfer.
The 21-year-old made great progress throughout his stay at Pride Park, and following his third-tier season, he finally earned a promotion to the Championship. But since moving to Ashton Gate, Roberts’ life hasn’t been easy.
Roberts has been in and out of the team and has had to wait patiently for his opportunity because of Cameron Pring’s strong play. However, due to a knee injury, the latter is unable to play, which presents an opportunity for the former Seagulls talent to start.
Now that the team is winning, Roberts has acknowledged to Bristol Live that he did mention wanting to go on loan during a “conversation” in the winter. But Manning, the Bristol City manager, advised him to wait for his chance to make an impression and to be patient.
He advised me to wait for my opportunity and to be patient during our chat, he stated.
“In my opinion, I should have been playing more, but that’s the situation we find ourselves in — if we weren’t in this business, we wouldn’t be here.
Sincerely, I believed that [a loan] was in my best interest. I desired to engage in each game. I once had a coach tell me, “Don’t waste any years of your career.” I simply thought about that because Pringy was doing so well and it would have taken a lot to remove him from the team. I really respect the gaffer and took his advise, so hopefully it continues. I still want to play and show what I can do.
Worth the wait
If Pring hadn’t got injured, Roberts may still be feeling that a loan move could have been best for him. However, the guidance and advice of Manning has proven valuable, with a chance in the Bristol City XI arising shortly after the end of the January transfer window.
Furthermore, if Manning had ended up sanctioning a temporary move for the defender, he would have found himself short of an option on the left in the absence of Pring. So, while the conversation over an exit was a worthwhile one, the decision for Roberts to remain is one that has certainly paid off.
Roberts will now put out his best effort to demonstrate that he can maintain a starting position in the Robins starting lineup. He appears to be in line for another opportunity to grab attention in this weekend’s matchup with QPR.
