Loan Wolf | Nigel Lonwijk

In the first of a new series following some of our young players’ progress while out on loan, we visited Nigel Lonwijk in Plymouth, where he currently sits top of League One.

Plymouth Argyle staff and fans discuss his impact so far and the 20-year-old takes us around some of the local sights, before we see him in action at Home Park.

Lonwijk has featured in 25 of Argyle’s 28 league matches this season and Wolves’ strategic player marketing manager, Matt Jackson, believes the experience down south battling for promotion to the Championship is ideal for the development of the player.

“Having been at Fortuna Sittard last year and having that Eredivisie exposure as a young centre back was excellent for him,” Jackson said. “It puts him well ahead of the curve for players of his age group throughout the world and certainly throughout Europe in those top leagues.

“We talked about him needing some English league exposure and the type of environment that would be good for him. We thought Plymouth was going to be an excellent opportunity for him in terms of the size of the club. I’ve got good personal contacts with staff down there and know the coaching culture, so it’s a really good fit.

“Players have to learn and that’s exacerbated in pressured situations. Nigel’s now looking at a 46-game league programme plus cup games, and you have to manage your own personal performances over that long period.

“He’s learning the responsibility of being a professional footballer, learning how important routine can be for that and actually how tough it can be to be a professional footballer.”

Watch episode one of Loan Wolf featuring Nigel Lonwijk, Matt Jackson and Neil Dewsnip below.