MOSSLEY’S season may have been mothballed but goalkeeper Liam Lovell has been in demand during the pandemic.
The 18-year-old has had stints training with the Under-23s at both Sheffield Wednesday and Stockport County.
“It has been a great experience to train at both clubs, especially at a time when we can’t play football at our level,” explained Royton-based Lovell.
He was a member of Rochdale’s development squad, a programme which combines studying for a BTEC diploma and training five days a week.
Craig Chapple, one of Lovell’s coaches at Rochdale, landed the job as U23 head of recruitment at Wednesday and, remembering his promise, invited him to train.
Lovell said: “Wednesday contacted me last March asking me to train but, because of the pandemic, it didn’t happen until the summer when I went for a fortnight while also playing for Mossley.
“When football stopped again in November I was asked back and returned for about five weeks.”
Lovell, who remains in contact with Wednesday, was more recently asked by Stockport to train with them, which he has done for the last three weeks.
He was one of four players from Northern Premier League clubs to be invited to train after being identified as emerging talent. They also included his Mossley team-mate Jack Grundy, who was released by Oldham Athletic last summer, and Trafford’s Jack Sloan, who played with Lovell at Curzon Ashton.
Lovell added he has had pinch-me moments at both clubs.
As an avid Manchester City fan, Lovell found himself being coached at Wednesday by their former goalkeeper Nicky Weaver.
And first-team goalkeeper Kieran Westwood, who started his playing days in the juniors at City, also joined the U23s as he returned from an injury lay-off.
“It was great to train with them and Nicky is a goalkeeper I aspire to be,” he said.
Then at Stockport, former City favourite Stephen Ireland came along with his son and both trained with the U23s.
“I grew up watching Stephen Ireland and again it was great to train with him,” he said.
Lovell, who is studying for a degree in sports performance and analysis at the University of Derby, said Wednesday and Stockport have both stressed the importance of playing men’s football at his age.
He initially joined Mossley aged 17 on loan from Curzon before making the move permanent in the summer and had made 14 competitive appearances for the Lilywhites before last season and this were both cut short.
Lovell had, in fact, earlier played one season in the first team at Royton Town aged 16 in the Manchester League, premier division which again provided invaluable experience.
And there was one match which Lovell will never forget when Town, who were desperately short of players, lured Manchester United legend Paul Scholes out of retirement to play for them.
Lovell, who played junior football for Heyside Juniors, Chaddy Park, Springhead and Oldham Rangers, is itching to get back playing and putting what he has learned at Wednesday and Stockport into practise.
He said: “I am not looking too far ahead. My short-term goal is to secure first-team football next season and ensure I am playing every Saturday.
“Long-term it is pushing up the leagues with the hope of showcasing my talent higher up the football pyramid.”