Grimsby Town should look to Burton Albion for Gavan Holohan replacement: View | OneFootball

Midfielder Gavan Holohan's time at Grimsby Town has come to an end. As the club announced their retained and released list, the former Hartlepool United man's departure was confirmed, and while the 2023/24 campaign has been a tough one for all associated with the club, the Irishman played an integral role in the promotion and FA Cup successes that preceded it, and leaves big shoes to fill in his absence.

The Mariners need to be more savvy with their recruitment ahead of the new season, something Chair Jason Stockwood alluded to last week, and we think the ideal replacement for Holohan will be a name familiar to Grimsby fans, after facing, and indeed scoring against, David Artell's side less than two months ago.

Burton Albion midfielder Charlie Lakin spent the second-half of the League Two campaign on loan at Sutton United, and although The U's would ultimately be relegated to the National League, Lakin was in sparkling form as Steve Morison's side improved dramatically towards the end of the campaign to take the survival fight to the final day, something that seemed unlikely before the turn of the year.

Lakin has a genuine blend of technical and physical qualities. The 24-year-old is a fierce competitor, but possesses a superb left-foot capable of both opening up opponents or striking from distance. The Solihull-born man also has a good engine, making him a well-rounded option many League Two clubs will be keeping tabs on.

Artell will certainly be looking to address the engine room of his side, one which doesn't lack effort, but often comes up short in terms of creativity and getting into goal-scoring positions, even more so now Holohan has left the club. Lakin offers that, along with the drive and edge to his game required in a physically demanding fourth-tier.

Lakin's form at Sutton caught the eye

Having come through the ranks at Birmingham City, Lakin played 10 times for the Blues over his four-year stay in the senior set-up at St Andrew's, while taking loan spells with Stevenage and Scottish side Ross County.

The dynamic midfielder joined League One club Burton Albion in the summer of 2021, penning a three-year deal. He would struggle for regular game-time at the Pirelli Stadium, however, and eventually joined League Two side Doncaster Rovers on loan for the second half of their 2022/23 season. The campaign just concluded saw Lakin have a brief spell at AFC Wimbledon before his loan move to Sutton in January.

Lakin thrived at Gander Green Lane. Given the trust of his manager and regular starts, he soon became the Yellow's main man in their quest for survival. Scoring eight times in 21 appearances for Morison's side - including a late penalty in a 1-1 draw with Grimsby - Lakin showed his quality on the ball and a relentless workrate out of possession.

These attributes will have caught the attention of many other League Two clubs, even more so as his Burton contract is due to expire this summer. Approaching his 25th birthday, Lakin will be keen to go to a club where his continued development is aided by regular first-team football. This is certainly something the Mariners could offer.

Holohan's departure leaves a void in the Grimsby midfield, and Artell will now be looking for a replacement capable of going box to box and offering an attacking threat while adding a sprinkling of quality on the ball. There will be lots of options available as the hustle and bustle of pre-season commences, but Lakin offers a real value-for-money alternative for boosting the Mariners ranks.

Holohan made a huge contribution to Grimsby Town success

Holohan spent just over two years at Blundell Park, and his impact within that time has been nothing short of immense. Joining from Hartlepool United in March 2022, the Irishman quickly made his mark, scoring big goals against the likes of Chesterfield and Stockport County as then manager Paul Hurst's side secured a National League play-off spot.

He elevated his status among Mariners' fans further when he scored a last-gasp equaliser in the eliminator against Notts County - a game Grimsby would go on to win 2-1 after extra-time - before playing a key role in the memorable 5-4 semi-final success against Wrexham and clinching promotion back to the EFL with another extra-time win over Solihull Moors in the final.

Holohan had almost instantly ingrained himself into the fabric of everything good about a determined Mariners side that didn't know when it was beaten. As well as helping his side to a top-half finish in Leage Two the following season - the club's highest finish in 17 years - the Irish midfielder wrote his name further into Grimsby Town folklore as an imperative member of the side that reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, scoring against then Championship side Luton Town and Premier League club Southampton along the way as the Mariners broke records to reach the last eight of the competition for the first time since 1939.

The latest season has been a difficult one, with the Mariners having secured their Football League safety with victory in the penultimate game of the campaign; but Holohan's commitment to the cause and leadership within the group will undoubtedly have played a big role in him and his teammates getting over the line and retaining the EFL status they wouldn't have had in the first place without the crucial contributions of the midfielder across his time at Blundell Park.