Umar Sadiq ‘axed’? A clarification…

After some news outlets this evening made a very misleading headline claim, we should clarify what happened with Umar Sadiq.

Going by the titles, Steven Gerrard has axed his big summer striker signing to the development team, and this is of course completely inaccurate.

It is true that Sadiq today lined up for the U20s V Falkirk, but given he’s not had many minutes in the first team yet and is still to fully gain match fitness and sharpness, plus get used to his new surroundings and team mates, Gerrard very wisely put him in Graeme Murty’s squad for the Bairns’ clash and he will still be in the squad for Thursday’s second leg v Maribor.

The young striker is not quite yet acclimatised to Scotland and the SPL, but he is working hard to get there, and minutes with the youth is the way players who are a little off match readiness attain it.

Bear in mind also he himself is only 21, so very much a spring chicken himself, and it must be worth remembering first team star and recently promoted Glenn Middleton was on the bench for said match.

In short, nothing to see here, and it’s headlines for headlines’ sake.