Springboard For Weaver

Stuart Pearce has said that Nicky Weaver should use his loan deal at Sheffield Wednesday as a 'springboard' to fight for his first team place.

The 26 year old has suffered with a terrible run of injuries preventing him from adding to his 150 appearances for Man City. The shot stopper went on a six week loan to The Owls last week and got high praise from their boss Paul Sturrock following his debut against Derby.

Pearce told the official site: 'I have to try to be seen to be as fair as I can to everyone as I physically can within the Club. That left Nicky not on the bench last Saturday, which is frustrating for him. Having got the option for Nicky to go to Wednesday, it was fantastic for our football club let alone Sheffield, who are getting a very good goalkeeper for a few weeks. He can get out there, get some first team football, and our Chief Scout went to watch him on Saturday. When our players go out, we do not just send them out and ignore them, or wait for feedback from the manager, we actually go and watch.'

Adding: 'This is by far the best thing he could have done at this stage of his career, get out there and get some first team football, then come back to us and he's fighting for a place again.'

And Pearce is certainly not looking to move Weaver on, 'He's an important part of this club, it's the same for everyone here, and I'm not winding the clock down on Nicky Weaver's career at this football club. If he says to me, 'I'm good enough to still be offered a contract', he will be offered a contract, simple as that. The ball's in his court, but he has got an affinity to this football club that I like to see in players. Certainly over the last three years when his back has been against the wall, his professionalism has been fantastic.”

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