Arsenal youngster Gavin Hoyte and Millwall striker Ashley Grimes have become Steve Tilson’s third and fourth recruits in just two days for Lincoln City after the duo joined the Imps.
Defender Hoyte has joined on loan for a month. The 20-year-old has represented England at under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels, is equally comfortable at right back or in central defence and will undoubtedly be seen as a massive coup for City.
The Imps had been short of defensive cover but, with Josh Gowling arriving from Gillingham yesterday and Paul Green not too far away from match fitness, Tilson now has options in his defensive positions.
Grimes has signed on an emergency loan deal which will run until December 6th. It will be hoped that he will be able to hit the back of the net for Lincoln, as Tilson’s side have scored the least amount of goals in the whole of the Football League.
Hoyte signed for Arsenal when he was just nine years old and has progressed through the ranks at the Emirates, becoming a regular in the youth and reserve sides. However he has understandably been unable to oust the likes of William Gallas and Sol Campbell from the first team down the years, meaning he has had to settle for loan moves away from the club.
The brother of Middlesbrough defender Justin, Hoyte has made four starts for Arsenal but just one of those was in the Premier League, against Manchester City in November 2008. A loan move to Watford soon happened and Hoyte spent the majority of last season on loan to League One side Brighton and Hove Albion where he made 16 starts.
Grimes also began his career at a Premier League Club. He played for Manchester United as a schoolboy but ended up signing as a trainee with their bitter rivals Manchester City in 2006.He had a short loan spell at Swindon in 2007 where he failed to score, before being allowed to join Millwall at the start of the 2008-09 season. He has scored four goals for the Lions in his 2 and a half seasons at the club.
Like Gowling and other loanee Luke Howell, both Hoyte and Grimes should make the starting 11 for Lincoln’s match away at Wycombe Wanderers this weekend.