Bristol City loan latest on Owura Edwards, Sam Pearson and Taylor Moore

Bristol City have kept a small and compact squad this season which has been a help and a hindrance, as it has impacted team selection.

At times there has been a defensive and midfield crisis in which reinforcements have been needed. Nigel Pearson though likes to work with small squads and it has seen a lot of his players used at some point this season.

For other players contracted to the club though, they have either been kept or sent out on loan to get some vital first-team minutes.

Below is how the players who have temporarily flown the nest from Ashton Gate Stadium have fared since being allowed to leave.

Tyreeq Bakinson

Bakinson’s departure from Ashton Gate came as somewhat of a surprise given he penned a new contract in November. A falling out with Nigel Pearson over his first-team opportunities meant he was sent out on loan to the Tractor Boys for the remainder of the season.

The 23-year-old has played 12 games in League One for Ipswich, starting nine of them whilst coming on as a substitute.

Given the injuries to Andy King and Joe Williams, Bakinson was talked about by fans as perhaps loaning him out being a regretful decision.

Bakinson though is at least out and playing and if there is any road back in to the first-team, he will come back with games under his belt.

Taylor Moore

The English-born centre-back has been used on a sparingly basis by Edinburgh side Heart of Midlothian. He was loaned out towards the end of last summer after he wasn’t in Pearson’s plans.

There had been talks of perhaps ripping up his contract as it expires in 2023, but the player wanted security after only signing a new deal in the summer of 2020.

The 24-year-old has made 17 appearances in the Scottish Premiership and has alternated between centre-back and right-back.

Sam Pearson

The 20-year-old was sent out to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in January and has played regularly, scoring his first senior goal in a 1-1 draw with Hamilton Academical back in February.

Pearson broke into the City team last year but didn’t get a look in this season given the attacking prowess of Antoine Semenyo and Andreas Weimann.

Owura Edwards

Loaned out to Exeter City for the first part of the season, Edwards was mainly a background figure for the Grecians. It was decided that he would be recalled and sent out on loan to Colchester United in January and it is there that he has enjoyed his football. The 20-year-old scored on his debut against Sutton United and has gone on to make 12 appearances for the Essex side.

He has missed the last two matches due to injury with Wayne Brown hopeful of him returning soon.

Saikou Janneh

The 22-year-old linked up with former City manager Steve Cotterill in January. Janneh has yet to score for the Shrews but he has made 10 League One appearances. A highlight of his loan spell was playing at Anfield in the third round of the FA Cup.

Callum Wood

Welsh youth defender Woods had followed one of the usual routes in the Bristol City academy. A few players have made the move in recent years from the youth team at Ashton Gate to Twerton Park.

Wood made 14 starts for the Somerset side from the start of the season to August, but returned to the academy after being recalled back in February.

The 19-year-old has since become a part of the under-23’s side that are battling for the Premier Division South title with Ipswich Town and Cardiff City.

Harvey Wiles-Richards

The 19-year-old goalkeeper is only one game into his Gloucester City career but a clean sheet in his debut against Fylde is a good place to start.

Wiles-Richards will see out the remainder of the season with Bristol Rovers legend Lee Mansell, as the Tigers try to preserve their National League North status.

Will Buse

Joined the same club as his brother Matt Buse. Has been on loan since September 2021 and has played more than 30 games, with the club second in the Southern League Premier.

Dylan Kajdi

On loan at the same club as Wood for a period, the midfielder made six appearances between the end of December and the middle of February.

Only three of those appearances were starts and he ended his time with the club by being an unused substitute. Another player who returned to the academy set up to help the push.