Defender Tom Flanagan has today (Thursday) joined Barnet on loan until the end of the season.
Flanagan, 21, spent the first half of the season with Martin Allen’s Gillingham and his impressive performances earned him a call-up to the Northern Ireland Under-21. However, upon return to the Gills, the towering centre-half suffered a broken fifth metatarsal which sidelined him for eight weeks.
Since recovering, the former Dons Academy graduate has been named on the bench but has found it hard to break into Karl Robinson starting XI and has not featured for the Dons this season. Therefore, with the opportunity to play regular first team football, Flanagan has made the temporary switch to Underhill in order to help with the Greater London outfits fight to avoid relegation from League 2, subject to Football League clearance.
Flanagan is set to benefit from the wealth of footballing experience possessed by player/head coach at Barnet, Edgar Davids. The former Ajax, Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has had a glittering career, which stretches over 20 years, and the ex-Netherlands international is continuing to ply his trade with the Bees.
The centre-back will be available for the Bees’ away trip to Acrrington Stanley this weekend with the Hammersmith-born youngster also eligible to feature in all of the Bees’ final nine League fixtures, which include tough clashes with Fleetwood Town, Cheltenham Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, AFC Wimbledon, Chesterfield, Torquay, Wycombe Wanderers and Northampton Town.
mkdons.com will provide updates throughout Flanagan’s loan spell.
