Middlesbrough left-back Hayden Coulson has joined League One side Blackpool on loan for the rest of the season.
The 25-year-old who came through the Boro academy system featured in the club’s F.A Cup clash against Aston Villa on Saturday. Michael Carrick brought him on in the closing minutes of the match but has decided that he is not needed for first team duties for the rest of the campaign. The club’s website announced via Twitter that Coulson joined up with Blackpool on Monday morning.
It will be of little surprise to most Boro fans that Carrick has taken this decision, given the emergence of the two left-backs who arrived in the summer. Both Lukas Engel and Alex Bangura have excelled of late and are both in healthy competition for that berth on the left-hand side of defence.
In fact, Carrick found room for both players in their recent F.A Cup third round tie on Saturday, and may even do the same as they face tough Premier League opposition once again, facing Chelsea in their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday evening.
Coulson started the season as Boro’s only real option in the left-back spot, and his commitment and effort could not be faulted, but he was never going to be the long-term answer for Michael Carrick.
Prolific loanee
It is not the first time Coulson has been on loan, having spent time at other clubs six times in his career to date. His most recent loan was up in Scotland for Aberdeen last season. Unfortunately, he fell foul of new manager syndrome when his game time was ironically cut short by former Boro midfielder Barry Robson who took charge at Pittodrie.
Coulson has had other loan spells with St Mirren, Cambridge United, Ipswich Town and Peterborough United. He has made 2 Championship appearances, 1 League Cup and 1 F.A Cup, as well as 1 appearance in the Premier League 2 competition for Boro this season.
It is not known whether the deal will include a clause to trigger a permanent deal, but Coulson is at the stage of his career where he will want regular football to ensure he can still operate at a good level.
Middlesbrough and Michael Carrick have two first team left-backs, with Bryant Bilongo as back up and also a player in Rav van den Berg who has operated there already during this campaign. So freeing up Coulson makes sense and allows another spot in the squad for potential arrivals.