Loan Report: Alex Baptiste & Jay Spearing

The vast majority of the reports in this short series I've spruced up for you all have been on youth players who were sent down to lower league clubs in a big to get them more first team experience. However, some more senior players, who were deemed surplus to requirements by a different manager each, have also spent time away from Bolton Wanderers this season. The pair of Alex Baptiste and captain Jay Spearing both spent time on loan at local rivals, Blackburn Rovers, this year, with Baptiste going for the entire season and Spearing for just a few months.

There's still a very probable chance that both players will be at the club by the time we next kick a ball in a competitive game, so we best find out if they've fared any better in blue and white then they did in just white.

Thankfully, Rovers fan Mikey Delap is on hand to provide us with the details on the pairs' exploits at Ewood Park.

Over to you Mikey:

First off, let me say what a thrill and honour it has been to have not one but two Bolton Wanderers loanees at Ewood Park this last term . From one mid table dweller to another let me tell you it is difficult to put into words the visual delight that has come with the exploits of Alex "Baps" Baptiste and Jay Spearing in blue and white halves during this recently concluded campaign.

Heavy and entirely unnecessary sarcasm aside, the players in question have enjoyed mixed fortunes at Ewood this season - but one has had a stronger showing than the other.

The signing of Alex Baptiste was hardly met with vociferous applause when it was announced we were picking him up on a season long loan last summer. But it would only be fair to say he has been something of a success during his tenure at Rovers.

Although a little "clunky" and indecisive at first and certainly more proficient when deployed at centre back than at right back, Baptiste eventually settled into life at Ewood Park and actually became one of our stronger and more consistent performers in a disjointed season for Gary Bowyer's men. The errors that plagued earlier games were cut out and prior to picking up an unfortunate end of season injury Baptiste had formed a very promising looking (if all too fleeting) partnership with Matt Kilgallon at the heart of the Rovers defence.

I wasn't a fan of us loaning him to begin with but I wouldn't complain if he came back 12 months later - he won me over. However this probably won't happen, what with our financial restrictions limiting activity and your mid-season manager change meaning the terminally angry looking Neil Lennon might want you to use him for your own gains.

Jay Spearing on the other hand was just sort of... there.

He ran about a bit, he battled a fair bit, but contributed little of actual substance (he was far from on his own in that department in our central midfield to be fair to him). We needed somebody to come in, take the game by the scruff of the neck, provide "legs" and push forward in our very static midfield and overall I'd say he did an OK if entirely bland job.

I wouldn't personally want him back at Ewood as he doesn't bring much different to the table in comparison to our other work hard, quality shy central midfielders.

We thank Mikey for his healthy dose of sarcasm and insight into how the pair have fared away from the Macron, and we implore you to follow him on Twitter @MikeyDelap.