Jim Goodwin insists Logan Chalmers could yet salvage his Dundee United career.
Chalmers, 23, is in the final year of his contract at Tannadice and has been farmed out on loan to Ayr United for a second successive campaign.
Although the winger — who won’t be eligible to face his parent club on Saturday — has played 41 senior games for the Tangerines, only nine of those have come in the last three seasons.
The door is definitely not closed on Logan and we’ll be watching him closely.
Jim Goodwin
In the meantime, he has had temporary stints with Arbroath, Inverness and Tranmere Rovers. But United boss Goodwin maintains that Chalmers’ latest exit is not the death knell for his time at the club.
“Logan is going into the last year of his contract and was frustrated with the lack of game-time,” said the Irishman.
“Mathew Cudjoe has made that position his own at the moment.
“That’s the position Logan wants to play in — coming off the right-hand side — so he felt he had to go away and play. It was a good opportunity for him so I won’t hold someone back, especially if they are fighting for contracts at the end of the season.
“It’s a big season for the players going into the final year and Logan is one of them.
“He did very well at Ayr United in a previous loan so will be looking to do the same again this time.
Logan Chalmers with the best wee bit of play from the Championship this weekend 🤤 pic.twitter.com/PbOYXoQ9pz
— Derek (@itzdrk) December 4, 2022
“The door is definitely not closed on Logan and we’ll be watching him closely.”
Loan stars
Chalmers, who followed Lewis O’Donnell (Kelty Hearts) and Miller Thomson (Montrose) out on loan, may not be the last United kid to go down that route.
I’d imagine a few more of the younger ones will take up the opportunity to go on loan.
Jim Goodwin
The likes of Bryan Mwangi, Craig Moore, Layton Bisland and Flynn Duffy are among a host of teenagers who have either featured during pre-season or fleetingly in the Viaplay Cup.
“We need to be fair to players and I’m not in the habit of holding onto young lads if they want to play games,” added Goodwin.
“We have to help them with their development and I have always tried to use the loan system for young players in the past.
“It’s all well and good training with the first team but these boys need competitive football at the end of the week. I can’t guarantee that for everyone so I’d imagine a few more of the younger ones will take up the opportunity to go on loan.
“It’s about getting the balance right between continuing their development and not leaving ourselves short.”
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