Saints boss Gus MacPherson said a few months ago that he wasn't interested in taking Old Firm youngsters on loan as we had good enough youngsters at Love Street. That's simply not true when you compare the players at the Old Firm with the players in our reserves. Darryl Duffy was superb for Falkirk last season, whilst Charlie Adam was good whilst on loan with Ross County for a spell last season.
Former Celtic youngster David van Zanten is an important part of the Saints squad, whilst teammate Kirk Broadfoot is one of the first division's best players despite being released by Hibs three years ago. Going further afield, several young players from England have come north of the border for a few months and done well. Adam Proudlock scored goals for fun in his short spell with Clyde, McPhee did well for us whilst RObert Earnshaw was a star for Morton and is now playing in ther Premiership and for his country.
If you get it right, the young players are definitely there to be had and a loan deal is certainly beneficialAnother reason for the lack of loan signings is that teams want a large part of the player's wages to be paid by the club taking him on loan. It's understandable, but surely it is more beneficial to top club's to see their young players getting first team experience rather than rotting in the reserves. A loan spell at Preston did a young David Beckham no harm at all, so you have to wonder why clubs up here don't seem as keen to get their younger players first team experience. The club taking him on loan get a good player, whilst the club loaning him find out if he is any good and might get a better player back.
In fairness, Rangers seem to be loaning more of their younger players now. Duffy, Adam, Andy Dowie, Alex Walker and Bajram Fetai are all Rangers players who have been loaned out in the last few years and it doesn't seem to have harmed their careers.
The sooner the other teams start doing the same, the sooner the clubs involved, and Scottish football in general, will start to benefit.