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Garbutt joins Oxford United on loan

Lyndon Lloyd Monday, 2 July, 2018 36comments  |  Jump to most recent
Luke Garbutt has joined Oxford United, signing for the League One side on a season-long loan.

The full-back, 25, who was prised away from Leeds United as a highly-regarded 16-year-old, looked to have made a permanent breakthrough into the Blues' first team when he was promoted by Roberto Martinez in the 2014-15 season.

He initially impressed as a deputy to Leighton Baines and also broke into the England U21 setup.

However, after being farmed out on loan to gain further experience at Cheltenham Town, Colchester United, Fulham and Wigan Athletic, his career has stalled and he spent most of last season back in Everton's Under-23s side.

He returned briefly to the senior picture earlier this year when former manager Sam Allardyce ran the rule over him after Baines succumbed to a medium-term injury but was eventually overlooked.

“He is a very good player and I am flattered if I'm honest that he sees Oxford as the club to help him take his career forward," said Oxford manager Karl Robinson. "I was a little bit shocked really and want to thank both Luke and his agent for the way they have looked at this and seen it as an opportunity to play regular football and put football ahead of the financial considerations. That doesn't always happen these days and has been refreshing.

“I know Luke spoke to Ryan Ledson who loved his time here, and Oxford have also helped John Lundstram and Jonjoe Kenny in recent years so Everton know he is coming to a club where we do things the right way."

 

Reader Comments (36)

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Robin Cannon
1 Posted 02/07/2018 at 15:25:50
I feel like he's going to make a sudden breakthrough into our first team at the age of about 32.
Alan McGuffog
2 Posted 02/07/2018 at 15:32:00
Might this means that we are hopeful of landing Tierney? Fingers crossed...
Bill Griffiths
3 Posted 02/07/2018 at 15:35:46
Some lads are late developers, maybe there's hope for him yet.
James Stewart
4 Posted 02/07/2018 at 15:42:44
Such a strange career. Good luck and hope it works out for him.
Martin Reppion
5 Posted 02/07/2018 at 16:03:48
It looks like Luke has decided to play football and see where it takes him. That's a good move for him. He's too old to be languishing on the fringes hoping for an occasional chance.

If he has a good season, he'll attract clubs in the top two divisions. Or, maybe get a chance with us next year.

Either way, he has always seemed to handle himself well, no moaning to the media etc. So I will watch Oxford's progress this season, and I wish him well.

Kristian Boyce
6 Posted 02/07/2018 at 16:25:37
9 years we've been paying his wages. He's supposedly on around £25k a week, so I can't imagine any lower-league team wanting to sign him permanently on that kind of money.
Clive Rogers
7 Posted 02/07/2018 at 16:41:23
Kristian, I read some time ago it was £15k, but either way, it was a ridiculous 5-year deal he was given by Martinez and Kenwright.
Mark McParlan
8 Posted 02/07/2018 at 16:42:39
Why can't we just sell these players permanently? I would rather get them off the wage bill completely.
Dave Abrahams
9 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:00:48
I can't see him getting £25,000 or even £15,000 a week at Oxford so is this loan free and we are still paying Luke some of his wages?

And another year to go after this... the club has been badly mismanaged with plenty of deals much worse than this one.

Kieran Kinsella
10 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:08:05
This made me chuckle. Found a quote from BK when Garbutt signed his latest contract back in 2015 (still two more years to run). This little snippet sums up Billy BS era perfectly:

“John Stones is hugely important to this club, of course. He's the best centre-back in England, surely, and he was never going to leave, never. There was never a moment...” the Blues owner says, leaving the sentence hanging.

“But don't forget. They said Luke Garbutt was definitely leaving, wouldn't sign a new contract. And James McCarthy. We had that where he was definitely going apparently, it wasn't even a question. Kevin Mirallas, too.

“Yet here we are with the window closed, and they all have new long-term deals. They're still here and they want to play for Everton. It's an important point.”

Tom Bowers
11 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:21:10
At 25 it's obvious he won't make it at Goodison, so yes, why the loan and not a transfer unless none of the clubs he fancies want him?
Kristian Boyce
12 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:29:16
If we're lucky and he stays one more year to see out his contract, he qualifies for a testimonial.
Mike Gaynes
13 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:32:54
Robin #1, good chuckle.

Dave #9, not sure I can think of any deals worse than this one.

David Barks
14 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:43:32
I think the reason for a loan vs transfer is fairly simple. To sell a player, that player must come to terms on a new contract at the club that wishes to acquire him.

To loan a player, the current contract stands. It's just up to the player to accept the loan and for the two clubs to work out who pays his salary or how it is split. I imagine he was willing to be loaned but not cancel his current contract, and the two clubs came to an arrangement as to how much each will pay for his remaining year.

Bill Gienapp
15 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:48:32
Alan (2) - fingers crossed indeed, though I suspect it has a lot more to do with Garbutt simply not being very good.
Derek Knox
16 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:53:34
Always had fairly high hopes for Luke, but several managers, although some of them have raised many eyebrows, have not seen him as part of first team plans.

Wish him all the best and hope it works for him at Oxford.

Matthew Rigby
17 Posted 02/07/2018 at 17:59:14
Guys, after his ‘breakthrough' season, we managed to fend of a couple of teams looking to take him away and with regret, he signed a £45k-a-week deal. Not sure how much of this will be paid while he is away this time... I believe Oxford are paying in the region of £3-5k a week for him.

I was really surprised when he went out on loan. But let's just say, all is not as it seems with him...

Matthew Williams
18 Posted 02/07/2018 at 18:14:02
Best of luck Luke...looks like we're serious about a new long term Left Back to replace Bainsey.
Alan Rodgers
20 Posted 02/07/2018 at 19:54:08
He takes a good corner. That's about it.
Denis Richardson
21 Posted 02/07/2018 at 20:55:21
Would have thought he was at least good enough for the Championship. 25 years old and going on loan to a League One side?

Can't see him making another first team appearance for us. He will probably be shipped out for a nominal fee next summer. If he's not good enough now, I doubt he ever will be.

Jim Hardin
22 Posted 02/07/2018 at 21:12:16
Good luck to him. Not sure how or why he fell off the radar. At least neither he, nor anyone at Oxford Utd. said, "Ask Everton why" about the reasons for the loan.
Nathan Ford
23 Posted 02/07/2018 at 21:56:30
He has a cracking cross but can't defend. Surprised they've never tried him as a left mid? Hopefully he gets his career on track at Oxford.
Michael McCarthy
24 Posted 02/07/2018 at 00:06:28
Mathew 17. Have I read that correctly> £45,000 a week??? What do you infer by your last sentence?
Victor Yu
25 Posted 03/07/2018 at 05:00:27
There were other teams looking to sign him when his contract was up 3 years ago. We matched the salary offered by the other teams and now we are stuck with his bad contract.
Darryl Ritchie
26 Posted 03/07/2018 at 07:01:40
I have to agree with Nathan. He's effective going forward, but not so good in defence. Perhaps a change of position. Maybe he could be more useful on the wing?

We've invested so much in him, both time and money, that all avenues should be tested.

Rob Dolby
27 Posted 03/07/2018 at 07:38:34
He will be one of the highest earners in League One.

We got stung in giving him the 5-year deal. The lad has been going through the motions for years now.

Got a nice cushy contract guessing around £30k a week for 5 years. Typical modern day footballer. No ambition to do better for himself.

Paul Mackay
28 Posted 03/07/2018 at 08:09:54
He deputised really well at left back a few years ago, I actually remember thinking he looked decent when he was in the first team. I’m surprised it hasn’t worked out for him but I’m guessing successive managers see him in training every day and saw the weaknesses that we didn’t. Perhaps a better attacking wing back than a pure defender but then they they said that about Coleman at that age.
James Flynn
29 Posted 03/07/2018 at 09:54:29
No way he's on £45k a week. We still had Kenwright's salary structure, at the time.

That would have jumped his wages over Jags, and Coleman, even Hibbert. I'd guess he's on around half that.

Still leaves a lot we're paying to get him to Oxford United for (hopefully) his last 2 years on contract.

But not the huge chunk it would be at £45k per week.

Frank Wade
30 Posted 03/07/2018 at 11:57:28
The club managed the contract renewals with the information available at the time. No crystal balls unfortunately. Most of us thought Luke would be in the 1st team at this stage.

I would have offered Liam Walsh good terms to stay. Hoping it will still work out for him. I saw a quote from someone on here last year bemoaning the fact that we let a 12-year-old go to Blackpool. Win some. Lose some. That's football.

Dave Richman
31 Posted 03/07/2018 at 12:15:14
I would rather us buy a specialist left-sided midfielder / winger than give a chance to a 25-year-old failed full back.
Ray Roche
32 Posted 03/07/2018 at 12:51:02
Garbutt, Rodwell, Walsh and more were all thought to be the next best thing but failed to kick on and their careers stalled. It's football. It happens, sadly, and it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

I doubt if any lad in his position is on top of the world as they sign for Oxford or some other lower-league side, their hopes and dreams in tatters.

James Morgan
33 Posted 03/07/2018 at 13:00:50
It’s almost a Winston Bogarde and Chelsea situation. Sign a duff player on decent wages and when he’s proved not good enough they stick around like a bad smell and collect their cash. At least he’s decided to go and play football and hopefully earn a permanent deal at Oxford or better.
Tommy Surgenor
34 Posted 03/07/2018 at 13:20:19
Matthew (#17) – I would be shocked if he was on as much as £45k. Especially during the era he signed the deal. We have a number of current first team regulars who aren't on that!

I would love to know what you mean by 'it isn't all as it seems'. He seems to have a bit of whit about him. He wasn't caught out in the sting during his time at Fulham.

Phil (Kelsall) Roberts
35 Posted 03/07/2018 at 13:58:31
£30k a week = £1.5M per year.

Average salary of CEO of FTSE 250 company = £1.5M.

Much tougher kicking a ball around than running a company worth just over £1billion.

Paul Kossoff
36 Posted 03/07/2018 at 14:30:47
But we still have Martina as left back cover? Good, panick over, phew!!!
Lev Vellene
37 Posted 04/07/2018 at 20:00:54
We have sold lots of our U23s that failed to impress. So I think Silva & Brands might have had reports that says there might be something there that regular play might bring out. And if it fails, there should be little financial loss to Everton, as I understand their manager's statements:

"I was a little bit shocked really and want to thank both Luke and his agent for the way they have looked at this and seen it as an opportunity to play regular football and put football ahead of the financial considerations..."

That doesn't sound like either EFC or Oxford together are paying his old wages... And if that is so, I wish him even more luck for this initiative!

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