Stockport County must learn lesson of Connor Lemonheigh-Evans transfer with January in mind | OneFootball

The former Hatter always looked good on the pitch but never found a natural spot in the side

Stockport County may head into the January transfer window looking for new faces to bring to Edgeley Park, but there are lessons to take from the transfer of Connor Lemonheigh-Evans in 2022.

There was nothing wrong with the Welshman’s technical ability, and he scored a fair few goals for the club in his final few months in Stockport, but he just never felt like a natural fit from the off.

It wasn’t that there was no position for Lemonheigh-Evans, it was more that he could do a job in too many positions, and that made it difficult for him to pick up any rhythm.

A similar point was made by Dave Challinor while Lemonheigh-Evans was still at the club, suggesting that some lesson had already been taken by the Hatters.

Stockport’s attraction to Lemonheigh-Evans needs no explanation

It is clear what attracted County to the player in the first place.

He was coming off the back of a season that had seen him net 11 goals in 39 National League appearances for Torquay United, splitting his time between attacking midfield and the wings.

Additionally, Lemonheigh-Evans’ contract was up at Plainmoor, making him available on a free transfer to the Hatters.

For the player’s part, it was an opportunity to step into the Football League with the newly promoted Stockport side.

Challinor understood where the move had gone wrong

The early signs were not good, with Lemonheigh-Evans restricted to cameos off the bench, and even heading out on a short-term loan to Notts County midway through the season to pick up some more minutes.

It wouldn’t be the last loan of his County spell either, heading out to AFC Wimbledon a season later, before being recalled in January 2024, where he would go on to play the best football of his Stockport career.

Earlier this year, Challinor said: "The difficulty for Connor, and what has worked out, is that he’s probably somebody that thrives in an environment where he’s going to play, and he can get into that comfort zone and that rhythm.

"The difficulty when he came in here is that he didn’t get that, and he almost became an impact sub, and that’s not Connor’s game."

Lemonheigh-Evans played in the midfield, on the wing and even at wing-back under the County manager, which was great for the adaptability of the Hatters’ squad but not so good for the player’s development.

"Again, another strength, which also becomes a weakness, and probably hence the reason he’s come back; he has quality, but he has quality to play lots of different positions," Challinor added at the time.

County must remember this deal and ensure any moves are more targeted in January

What appears clear, based on watching Lemonheigh Evans’ performances for County and the comments made by Challinor at the time, is that he was undoubtedly a talented footballer, but there was just no natural, nailed-on role for him at Edgeley Park.

That is a lesson that must be taken from this deal by County, as we head towards the January window.

An adaptable player is good, especially on a free, and even more so when they have just been scoring goals for their former club, but the club must ensure any new player has a primary function in the team, or arrives with the full knowledge that they are accepting a more withdrawn role in the squad to avoid another scenario like Lemonheigh Evans’ transfer, for the sake of both the player and club.