Usually, a transfer miss will be a source of regret for a club, but there are positives to take from a move Stockport County didn’t land for a Wigan Athletic defender in 2022.
The Hatters had just achieved their long-held dream of returning to the Football League and were looking for talent from further up the pyramid to assist their important upcoming League Two campaign.
Football Insider at the time reported that the club were in the race to sign Wigan Athletic left-back Luke Robinson on loan.
It was a move that never went through, something which turned out to be a plus point for County’s own Ryan Rydel.
County were reportedly in the running for Wigan left-back Luke Robinson
According to the report, it was Bristol Rovers and County fighting it out for the temporary signing of Robinson in 2022, two of a “number of clubs” from England and Scotland interested in the left-back.
He was hot in demand, with the Latics already having rejected advances from Rovers and Leyton Orient the previous January.
However, neither of those mentioned teams would be the one to win the race, with Tranmere Rovers storming in to land the player.
Sadly, it was a move destined not to bear fruit, with Robinson picking up an ankle injury just weeks into his Tranmere arrival that would rule him out for the remainder of the season and restrict him to just three appearances for the club that season.
Robinson miss gave Ryan Rydel some key County moments
It will, of course, never be known whether Robinson would have faced the same fate had he arrived at Edgeley Park instead, but the missed move likely did provide Ryan Rydel with more chances.
He already spent much of the 2022/23 campaign battling with the likes of Myles Hippolyte for the left wing-back role, but still managed to make 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.
| Rydel in League Two (2022/23) as per WhoScored | |
|---|---|
| Starts (Sub) | 18 (11) |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.1 |
| Key passes per 90 | 1.4 |
| Pass success rate | 62.3% |
That included a starring role in County’s play-off appearance and a chance to play at Wembley Stadium in the final, where he held his own but was, unfortunately, the player to have his effort saved in the penalty shootout.
Nevertheless, it was an important season for Rydel, probably one of his best to date, and a chance to prove he belonged in the Football League.
All that would have been much harder had Rydel had Robinson added to the mix to battle for minutes.
Injury concerns left County feeling like they still needed reinforcements
Rydel has had plenty of injury battles himself while he’s been at Edgeley Park, which have undoubtedly stunted his progression.
That was probably a key reason behind the Hatters feeling like they needed some cover in the position, and they did indeed strengthen there the following season with the capture of Ibou Touray from Salford City on a free transfer.
But that’s not to say County retain no faith in Rydel; he signed a new three-year contract in 2024, a key indicator of how highly he’s rated at Edgeley Park despite frustratingly persistent injury setbacks.
That 2022/23 season, where he proved he was more than comfortable in the Football League at a young age, is likely a key reason for the club’s opinion of the player.
Although missing out on a player like Robinson may have been frustrating at the time, the chance of progression it provided for Rydel has been worth much more to the Hatters in hindsight.
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