23-year-old is primed for big Lincoln City impact - Jez George agrees | OneFootball

Lincoln City are ready to reap the rewards of last summer’s recruitment as they look ahead to the upcoming season.

Lincoln City are ready to reap the rewards of last summer’s recruitment as they look ahead to the upcoming season.

The Imps finished in mid-table after a poor run over the Christmas period stunted early progress that looked to revive the form that has put them just one win away from a play-off spot in Michael Skubala’s debut campaign.

But, the changes Lincoln have made in their shape towards the end of the season have laid the groundwork for one player in particular to flourish when Sky Bet League One kicks off once again.

Change of style has helped Erik Ring

Lincoln signed Erik Ring from Swedish outfit AIK, where he had advanced through the youth ranks. His debut season, though, did not hit the heights that were expected, as he at times lacked minutes and at others struggled with the intensity of the English game.

In a recent appearance on BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Red Imps Club podcast, Imps director of football Jez George said both the club and their 23-year-old recruit had underestimated the difference in physicality from Sweden to the EFL.

That gap took a while to bridge, but as George noted himself, the change in formation that Lincoln underwent towards the end of the campaign helped turn his fortunes around.

Ring struggled at wing-back, a position he lacked experience of, but the change of shape allowed him to play in a more natural attacking position. Skubala altered his Imps team to play a 4-2-3-1, as opposed to the variety of five-back formations they were being deployed in beforehand.

In that new role, he shone. Goals against Bolton Wanderers and Stockport County in consecutive games was the highlight as Ring began to evidence why he had been brought into League One in the first place.

His only other goal of the league campaign came in November, as he netted in victory over Northampton Town, while his best came in the FA Cup. Ring scored a stunner from distance as Lincoln edged past Crawley Town in a seven-goal thriller, showing his unearthed talents and ability to be extraordinary.

Lincoln City set to reap rewards of their recruitment in 2025/26

In his podcast appearance, the City director of football admitted that left wing-back was not a good fit for Ring. Skubala’s shift away from a back-five, which has since made the Imps team a much bigger threat, has had the inadvertent positive of also boosting the former Swedish under-21s international’s standing.

Speaking to BBC Radio Lincolnshire, George said: “English football won’t adapt to Erik, Erik has to adapt to English football. He has learnt that and found that out over the last 12 months.”

With a season and 30 all-competition games under his belt, Ring is now set to impress next season. He has the chance to provide a major challenge to some of Lincoln’s other top wide players, like St. Lucian international Reeco Hackett, with a more natural position now open to him.

That has already made the world of difference for Ring, who was treading water at wing-back. In a more attacking role, he adds threat to City's forward play, while the defensive work can be left to someone who has more experience and quality in that department.

Not all signings work immediately, some take time to prove their worth. And, it looks like Ring’s move to Lincoln is going to fall into that category, as the 2025/26 campaign appears set to be a showcase of his talents.