Tony Mowbray has admitted his regret at how the club handled the loan deal with Leighton Clarkson.

The midfielder joined Blackburn on loan in August on a season-long deal. However, the deal was cut short this January after having only made seven appearances for the team. 

Due to Blackburn’s recent good form, Mowbray was reluctant to make too many changes to the team and thus Clarkson was left out. 

But Mowbray has claimed he regrets that the deal was cut short, praising the player’s talent. 

“Over the last couple of months, when the team have really hit the ground running, it’s been very difficult for him to get in,” said Mowbray, via the club's website.

“He’s a wonderful footballer with a wonderful weight of pass and amazing vision. He hits all sorts of passes and looks a fantastic player in training.

“A boy with the amount of talent that he has, he has to be playing football. It’s almost criminal that he sits on a bench rather than playing on a Saturday or a Tuesday.

“I hope he can find a club where he can play a lot and show what a good player he is.”

 

 

Blackburn received fellow Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliot on loan last season, to much greater success. It was hoped that Clarkson could follow in his teammate’s footsteps, but it just never worked out quite as well. Thus he is now back with Liverpool. 

Blackburn are currently second in the Championship table, one point clear of Fulham who have two games in hand.

Mowbray’s side are unbeaten in nine league games, having not lost since the humiliating 7-0 drubbing suffered at the hands of promotion rivals Fulham. 

This nine game unbeaten run also included a six game winning run, which ended on January 2 with a 0-0 draw with Huddersfield Town.

Blackburn next face an away trip to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup Third Round on January 8. Their next league opponents are Cardiff City, who they face in Wales on January 15.

The Verdict

This was quite an admission from Mowbray, which is probably what Clarkson needed to hear. His confidence will have taken a hit, especially with comparisons to Elliot being so obvious.

It makes sense that Mowbray didn’t want to change too much during such a good run, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. However, Liverpool were right to wonder if staying at Blackburn was the right decision for Clarkson’s development. 

Clarkson will now be looking for the next step in his career, with another loan out to a Championship club surely still on the cards.