Liam Sercombe - He’s one of our own!

[IBA]

Sercs was at his best for us when he played in that midfield diamond alongside Dunne. They both did the box to box legwork with Noble and Harley at the points of a midfield diamond. It was the following season after Harley had gone they both struggled with having to be more disciplined in their positional play.

That was a decent Midfield to be fair, although I did rate Matt Gill, and Nobes was obviously a class act, but suffered with injuries at the end of his career.

 

[Rosencrantz]

That was a decent Midfield to be fair, although I did rate Matt Gill, and Nobes was obviously a class act, but suffered with injuries at the end of his career.

Gilly was a key part in the double promotion. Took a little time for some to warm to him but he was one of the best midfielders I've seen play for City. He was an outstanding player for us and was immense in that second leg performance at Oxford. A clone of peak Gilly would be straight in to any City side I've seen.

Always enjoyed watching Noble play as well.

 

[Grecian Max]

Gill kept it ticking, loved him, classy player

 

[GJW]

Good write up about him in the Cheltenham programme. Good things to say about the Club. Hopefully you can read this if you zoom in.

 

[Grecian Max]

Pretty much as I said then, he was hamstrung by the micromanagement...

 

[andrew p long]

Sercombe took ages to develop into a first team regular, ...... Should be noted that a lot of our current crop are a lot more developed than Liam was at their age.

What?

Liam Sercombe's career record at Exeter City shows that he played around 100 league games when by the same age Josh Key and Joel Randall had started none.

AS a 17 year old Sercombe played 7 Blue Square Premier games

As an 18 year old Sercombe played 29 League two games

As a 19 year old Sercombe played in 28 League One games

As a 20 year old Sercombe played 42 League One games including 38 starts,plus 7 other games, in a side that finished 8th in League One

By contrast Randall and Key had played no league games at all until aged 20 years 10 months and 20 years 9 months respectively .The nearest is Archie Collins with 60 league appearances by age 21 and 36 League two appearances at age 20. So that's fewer than Sercombe and at a league lower. But who of our current players comes close?

 

[robchave]

Always felt that Liam left because he was held back by Tisdale. I felt that he wanted the freedom to attack, whereas with Tis he seemed under orders to hold back. His subsequent career has shown what a good attacking midfielder he is.

 

[SEA Grecian]

What?

Liam Sercombe's career record at Exeter City shows that he played around 100 league games when by the same age Josh Key and Joel Randall had started none

AS a 17 year old Sercombe played 7 Blue Square Premier games

As an 18 year old Sercombe played 29 League two games

As a 19 year old Sercombe played in 28 League One games

As a 20 year old Sercombe played 42 League One games including 38 starts,plus 7 other games, in a side that finished 8th in League One

By contrast Randall and Key had played no league games at all until aged 20 years 10 months and 20 years 9 months respectively .The nearest is Archie Collins with 60 league appearances by age 21 and 36 League two appearances at age 20. So that's fewer than Sercombe and at a league lower. But who of our current players comes close?

Thanks for this. My memory was that Liam had played a lot while young but I didn't have time to check the stats. However, to be overly pedantic Joel Randall made his league debut at the age of 20 years and 4 months and his first league start at the age of 20 years and 10 months.

 

[SEA Grecian]

Any player who comes through the academy and has a long professional career is a success. The variable is the amount of potential they realise.

Exactly. He's clearly had a good career in the game; it's just that having looked so good for us in League One at a young age I personally would have expected him to have gone on and play at a higher level.

 

[Pobbop]

Always felt that Liam left because he was held back by Tisdale. I felt that he wanted the freedom to attack, whereas with Tis he seemed under orders to hold back. His subsequent career has shown what a good attacking midfielder he is.

Might also have to do that he was on much more money at Oxford, reputedly. We lose players because we don't pay them as much.

He's done well for himself, would like his bank balance, but let's not pretend we lost a world-beater, still much more annoyed that we didn't take Kiefer Moore when we had him on trial, and Jack Stacey wanted to come here too, but we wouldn't pay the money. In the end those are massive mistakes, Liam wanted a move, got one, and he's doing okay, but let's not pretend that 17 goal season is typical, it wasn't, taking pens doesn't hurt either I'd have thought, mind you he has only taken 8 all in div 4 oddly. Also left Oxford for "undisclosed disciplinary reasons", but it was a good wedge,

I do remember that when he played very young for us, some people were talking of him being a Prem player, a bore who stood on the big bank near me was always saying "Liverpool are looking at him", BS probably, but there was talk he'd be brilliant before he even played, so yeah, not going to lie was a bit disappointed he didn't turn out be be significantly better.

Yet saying all that always nice to see Academy prospects doing well, would rather he hadn't done it against us though.