Tranmere’s first piece of incoming transfer business has been made today, a day prior to a significant fixture which sees local rivals Bolton Wanderers travel to Prenton Park. The quality in a strong midfield has been increased with the signing of the young maestro Nya Kirby, who has signed a loan deal which sees him stay in Merseyside until the end of the season. This was something that had to be done following the departure of Ollie Banks, a man with a great passing range who was recruited by Barrow on Monday afternoon to the disappointment of many Tranmere fans. Thus, Kirby has a job to do. He has to add to the chances of success this campaign and he has to show his new club the strengths he holds as he embarks on his career’s journey. Who knows what can come from the next few months?
Kirby, a 20-year-old Islington-born creative midfielder who stands at a mere 5ft8inches, started his development at Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace academy. On top of this, he has also come through the youth ranks of the English national squad. The strengths the young man has means that he has been scouted by professional clubs for a while now, yet he continues to stay at Palace as he believes that one day he could make it to the Premier League. In January 2019, he was signed by Blackpool and he would make just over ten appearances for the Tangerines in this short spell. Nya would score one goal in these games, earning a penalty on his debut which his teammate would slot to earn a point against Wycombe Wanderers.
He seems to have fun around the penalty box, continuing to create problems for defenders and opposing keepers who are worried by the pace and trickery that he is capable of showing. During his time for the England U17s team, made for the Fifa world cup in 2017, he scored a decisive penalty against Japan to reach the quarter finals. Kirby appeared in the final, against Spain, being the change that manager Steve Cooper would make in the second-half. This is certainly a high point as he played his part in a World Cup win, he now aims to play his part in senior achievements.
As I said above, the youngster has his eyes set on a place in a Premier League matchday squad. He needs to do something which he is raring and ready to do, show quality at a senior level for his dream to come true. However, he has made his debut for Palace prior to signing a loan deal contract with Tranmere Rovers. This game came when he played against AFC Bournemouth in the second round of the EFL Cup.
On paper, this seems to be a very good signing. However, as we have seen before these signings can sometimes fail to pay off. It is up to Keith Hill and the man himself to impress alongside former Blackpool team-mate Jay Spearing. I’d say be excited.
Going forwards, it is always hard to tell what plans a manager of a promising football league club expects to make. However, due to the departure of Jack Young I would like to see a defensive midfielder being recruited alongside a defender or two. The Whites are looking short at right-back and Mark Ellis seems to be another on the watchlist for Barrow as his gametime has nosedived across the course of the season.
- @Jmwalton7’s outstanding edit of the midfielder. This picture shows him in contact with former England senior boss Roy Hodgson, the writing states ‘welcome Nya Kirby’ and partnered with successful performances the Rovers faithful will certainly welcome him.
Thank you very much for reading,
Stay safe,
Ethan Hoijord.
Great write up let’s hope he does well