Transfer news: Wealdstone land Sheffield United defender on loan

Wealdstone are pleased to confirm the loan signing of centre-half Miguel Freckleton, a move manager Stuart Maynard describes as a "real coup".

Keen to fill the void at the heart of the defence created by Deji Elerewe's return to parent club Charlton, Maynard has managed to persuade Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom to loan him the teenage defender until January. He will go straight into the squad to face Wrexham on Saturday.

"It’s exciting to get Miguel in as he’s a player we’ve really liked since he joined Sheffield Utd," said Maynard of the 19-year-old. "He turned down two National League clubs who are competing in the top 10, so it’s a huge boost to get him in.

"With losing Deji, part of our recruitment strategy is to always have contingency plans, and we wanted to act quickly and decisively to fill the void. We knew straight away that we wanted Miguel to be that man, so it’s a real coup to get him in."

The Stones have forged a real reputation as a place where professional clubs are comfortable sending their young players for valuable experience. Aaron Henry, Charles Clayden, George Wickens, Connor McAvoy and Elewere have all enjoyed successful spells with the Stones in the last year.

"The loan market is a market that we’ve utilised as a management team and as a club to great success, so we have no doubt Miguel will be another effective piece of recruitment for the club," said Maynard. "Miguel is an athletic, left footed centre-back and he’s very comfortable on the ball. He has that bit of aggression and bite that you need to play in the National League too, so he has all the attributes to play higher. We’re delighted to have him on board and look forward to working with him."

* Pictures by Jon Taffel

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