Morecambe have sent 18-year-old midfielder Adam Fairclough on a 28-day loan to National League North rivals Workington AFC. The club confirmed the short-term move on Thursday, subject to league approval.
Fairclough progressed through the Shrimps' academy and signed his first professional contract with the club. He has made seven senior appearances in League Two for Morecambe and previously gained experience on loan at Lancaster City in the Northern Premier League.
Workington manager Billy Barr arranged the deal to bolster his squad amid an injury crisis. The loan provides Fairclough with a chance to play regular senior football at a key stage of his development.
"Everyone at Morecambe FC wishes Adam the best of luck during his time at Workington," the club said in a statement.
The move comes as Morecambe handle a challenging period in the National League North. They sit 19th in the standings with 14 points from 11 matches, having lost their last two games. Their most recent result was a 2-1 defeat away to AFC Rushden & Diamonds last weekend. The team's recent form shows they have conceded 5 goals in their last 180 minutes of football, an average of a goal every 36 minutes, while scoring just twice themselves. Morecambe's league record stands at four wins, two draws, and five losses from their 11 games, leaving them ten points adrift of the summit. Their recent sequence of results reads two wins, one draw, and two losses from the last five, with the defeats coming against AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Worksop Town. The team has netted 15 times this season while conceding 11.
Fairclough's departure is a strategic decision to aid a young player's growth while the first-team squad focuses on improving their league position. Morecambe's next fixture is away to 15th-placed Merthyr Town on Saturday, October 24.
This story first appeared at Morecambe FC
