Loach: Scott

2007-2007 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Nottingham: 27-05-1988

Debut: None

6’1” 13st 1lb (2007)

Loach started with Ipswich Town at their Academy before joinind Lincon City as a fifteen-year-old as an apprentice in the summer of 2004. There he was sent to several Non-League clubs to gain experience. August 2004 saw him at Bourne Town, January 2005 he went to Boston Town, a spell that was extended until the end of the 2005-06 season, but he laso had spells with Spalding United and Stamford before returning to Boston Town in November 2005, but also went to Grantham Town in March 2006 for a spell. Despite being offered professional terms at Lincoln City, Loach joined Watford on trial in April 2006, officially signing professional terms for Watford in June with Lincoln City receiving a transfer fee of £50,000. In pre-season 2007 he was on trial at Leeds United, who had a severe lack of goalkeepers at the time due to their financial situation, with a view to a loan move, but it did not come to fruition. He went on the Leeds pre-season tour of Europe and played the first-half of the friendly with Union Berlin and appeared to have played well before conceding a goal before the end of his stint as Leeds went down 2-0. He played the second half of the game at Slovan Liberec in the Czech Republic and made some good saves but conceded the goal in United’s 1-0 defeat. He played the full game as United went down to German side FC Energie Cottbus 2-1. He was again on for the full game as Leeds went down 2-0 at Burnley. He was again given a full game as Leeds won 1-0 at Darlington and then lost 1-2 to EPL club Wigan Athletic but with Casper Ankergren returning after the financial impasse, he was reinstated and Loach was back at Watford. He went on loan for a month, which was extended to three months with Stafford Rangers in September 2007, and he made eleven appearances. He joined Morecambe on loan in January 2008 initially for a month, making two appearances, but saving a penaty in the second of these before returning to Watford after only two weeks. At the end of January 2008 he joined Bradford City on loan until the end of the 2007-08 season. Loach played the remainder of the season with Bradford, making twenty appearances for the club, who finished in tenth place in League Two. He returned to Watford and made his League debut as a substitute on 20th September 2008 when he came on to replace Mart Poom in the fourth minute of a game against Reading. Loach conceded his first goal in controversial circumstances when the referee and linesman gave a goal instead of a corner. He soon established himself as a Watford regular and his form was such that in February 2009 he was called up into the England Under-Twenty-one squad for a friendly match against Ecuador.He made his international debut when he came with twelve minutes to go as a replacement for Tom Heaton, as England lost 3–2. In May 2009, Loach was named in the England Under-Twenty-one squad for the Under-Twenty-one Championships in Sweden in June 2009. He started in goal for England in the 3-0 defeat to Germany in the Final and was to blame for the second German goal. He made a good start to the 2009/10 season including a match winning performance at Plymouth, where Watford won 1-0 and he consolidated his position in the team with some outstanding displays. In early March 2010, after interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Watford extended his contract to 2013. By the end of the 2008-09 season Loach had played seventy-six League games including one as a substitute and started four in the F.A. Cup and four starts in the League Cup.