The former Sunderland youngster was hardly given an opportunity on loan at Sheffield United – and then moved to League One rivals Gillingham for nothing.
Sheffield United won’t have too many worries on their plate at the moment as they continue to cruise along at the top of the League One table. Yet, with key man and first-choice central defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell set to return to parent club Wolves at the end of the season, Chris Wilder will have a difficult job on his hands replacing the loanee in the summer.
If only he could call on a player with John Egan’s experience and ability.
Less than two years after a one-month loan at Bramall Lane in 2012 amounted to no more than a single appearance, in a 3-2 defeat at Walsall no less, the Republic of Ireland youth moved to Gillingham on a free following his release by Sunderland.
And, after earning a place in the League One Team of the Season in 2015/16, the former Black Cats youngster has now established himself as one of the most solid defenders in the Championship with Brentford.
Egan has even found the time to score on four separate occasions in the second tier while his no-nonsense defending has endeared him to The Bees supporters.
Premier League basement boys Sunderland must surely look at £8 million, mistake-a-minute summer flop Papy Djilobodji and wonder what might have been had they handed an all-too-rare academy graduate an opportunity instead, as reported by the BBC.
His maiden call-up for Martin O’Neil’s senior Republic of Ireland side last week was a long time coming and, in the end, richly deserved following his consistently impressive displays at Griffin Park.
Next season, Sheffield United are likely to enjoy a re-union with their one-time loanee. And they must wonder why they didn’t pull out all the stops to resign him for nothing in the summer of 2014.
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