Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has admitted that he decided to loan out Ciaran Brennan earlier this week to give the defender the chance to feature regularly in a lower division.
The 21-year-old joined Notts County on a temporary basis on Tuesday and is set to return to Hillsborough on November 27th.
Since being handed his debut in Wednesday's League Cup clash with Rochdale last year, Brennan has struggled to make any inroads on the club's starting eleven.
Limited to just four appearances in all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign, the defender would have been hoping to feature regularly for the club following their relegation from the Championship.
However, Brennan has only played once for the Owls this season due to the presence of Dominic Iorfa, Chey Dunkley and Sam Hutchinson.
The Wednesday academy graduate could potentially make his debut for his new side when they face Altrincham in the National League tomorrow.
Making reference to the defender, Moore has admitted that a spell with the Magpies will provide Brennan with a great opportunity to improve as a player.
Speaking to Yorkshire Live about the defender, the Wednesday boss said: "For Ciaran Brennan, Notts County is a great opportunity for him.
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"We will watch how gets on there and keep an eye on his progress.
"It is first team football and football on the front line.
"He is someone with wonderful potential and we will watch from afar his development down there.
"The biggest thing for him is that consistency and playing at the level.
"It is being able to cope with the demands, especially in a two or three game week."
The Verdict
When you consider that Brennan would have been forced to watch on from the sidelines in the coming months if Wednesday had opted to keep him at Hillsborough, a loan move to the Magpies could prevent his development from stalling.
An exciting young talent, the defender will gain some much-needed experience by featuring regularly in the National League.
If Brennan ends up thriving at Meadow Lane, he could potentially force his way into Moore's plans for the remainder of the season when he returns to Wednesday.
Moore will be hoping to create the foundations needed to launch a promotion push during Brennan's absence by leading his side to victories in the club's upcoming clashes.