Once again, Liam Ridgewell is on the move. Once again, only temporarily.
The Portland Timbers announced on Wednesday that they will send Ridgewell to Brighton & Hove Albion on a short-term loan that begins on Jan. 2. Ridgewell will begin training with the English Championship outfit this week, but cannot officially play for it until after the winter transfer window opens.
The 31-year-old centerback and Timbers captain, who joined Wigan Athletic on a similar loan at the start of 2015, is scheduled to return to Portland ahead of the Simple Invitational preseason tournament on Feb. 22.
“Similar to last year, Liam expressed an interest in staying in the (United Kingdom) on a short-term loan to maintain his fitness and to stay sharp leading into the upcoming MLS season,” said Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson in a club-released statement. “We feel that this loan works well for all parties involved and we look forward to having Liam rejoin the group towards the end of preseason.”
Ridgewell played a key part in helping the Timbers lift the MLS Cup this season, making 32 regular season appearances, all of which were starts. He had one assist in those games, and also scored a goal in the playoffs against FC Dallas.
What do you think about Ridgewell being sent on another loan? Worried that he will not get enough rest before the start of the 2016 campaign, or is this a good move given how he performed this year? How much will he help Brighton & Hove Albion?
Share your thoughts below.
And he’ll be playing as a left back, where the timbers just lost a vital piece (villefana) to santos. Not saying he’ll line up there once MLS starts up, but some starts/match time there won’t hurt should it be required while portland adjusts/retools.
What a stud. Guy likes to stay fit, compete and enjoy life. Top quality.
As I understand it, the main reason for this loan is to allow Liam to spend more time in England with his family and to maintain his fitness while doing so.
i’d really rather this didn’t happen. it’s only about a month and a half. It was a long tough season, and he’s not getting any younger, he could use the time off. i really hope this doesn’t come back to bite the Timbers.
I love irrational comments like this…. So you’re saying this loan might hurt Portland’s chances to win the cup?…. You must’ve missed the part in the article where it mentioned he did the same sort of loan last season…. Didn’t seem to hurt their chances in 2015……
I love irrational comments too.
They make my belly button pucker.