Thierry Ricky Everton Latty-Fairweather, a 19-year-old Brummie, is the Bulls latest arrival. He’s on loan until January as Josh brings in more talent from the Albion. That’s Burton Albion in this case. How football can change. In decades gone by, an Edgar Street club might allow a young player to be loaned to a non-league club like Burton. Now it’s the other way round.
With the Staffordshire club not having an U23 set-up of their own, they rely on loans to improve their young players. They have close ties with a dozen non-league clubs, now apparently including ourselves. Hereford can offer the key benefits of daytime training within easy striking distance of their players accommodation. That Thierry presumably has family in Birmingham is a bonus for all parties.
Thierry was with the Nottingham Forest Academy for 3 years, before joining Burton Albion on a scholarship programme in October 2020. Covid put on hold a vital part of his training, nevertheless he progressed so much last season that Burton gave him a one-year pro contract last month. Young Latty-Fairweather packed a lot into last season.
In September 2021, the young defender was loaned to Grantham, which was almost a punishment. The Gingerbread Men had struggled for years and had yet another new manager in. Carlton Palmer. A former England international who had returned from several years in China, running a part-time English club for the first time. Let’s just say the partnership didn’t succeed. Still, that wasn’t the young defenders’ problem. He was there to learn. “It got me used to the men’s game” admitted Thierry to the Burton website with some understatement. A months’ loan was extended and eventually the young Brummie could escape, having added a creditable 12 games and a goal v Matlock to his CV.
Having played a full part in Burton Albion’s spectacular FA Youth Cup (reached Fifth Round proper) and making a cameo debut as a sub v Fulham in the EFL Trophy, the Albion had a new sterner test for their man. Instead of basement battles in Step 3, he was off to Yorkshire for basement battles in Step Two. He joined Guiseley in January 2022, scoring from left back on his debut at Fylde. “It was full-on, we were at the bottom of the table” he explained later. “The intensity of the running was very new to me.” Again, his loan was extended, thus time to the end of the season. Young Thierry started as either a left wingback or a left back but such was his assurance and versatility, his latter of his 21 games were in central midfield.
And now he’s with the Bulls, eager to play for a club not propping up a League. In the early pre-season games, he’s shown up brightly and pleased most everyone.
Come January 2023, he may have to go for a Burton. An extension to his loan may be possible but probably only at the expense of the players dream to “make it.” An extension would signify Thierry had no future with the Albion. That’s in the future. Right now, let’s enjoy our multi-named defender while we have him.
Simon Wright
