Defenders could boost careers like Harry Souttar with loan move to Fleetwood says Joey Barton

Joey Barton wants to add experience to his Fleetwood rearguard

And he says a loan move to Highbury can benefit a player’s career just like it did that of Harry Souttar.

Town played three at the back last season during their run to the League One play-offs.

However, Callum Connolly, Lewis Gibson (both Everton) and Souttar (Stoke City) are all back with their parent clubs now.

It means Town’s back line so far this season has been on the youthful side.

Sam Stubbs (21) and James Hill (18) have been the regular pairing in the centre of defence, while 19-year-olds Morgan Boyes and Harrison Holgate have also figured.

Town’s well-publicised move for the experienced Charlie Mulgrew is dependent on a financial deal being agreed with the Scot’s club Blackburn Rovers.

Barton said: “I thought we were one away last week. We’ve been waiting on centre-halves since the end of last season.

“I knew Gibbo (Gibson) would go back to Everton and that Soutts (Souttar) was going to go back to Stoke.

“I saw he started (at Preston on Saturday) – Stoke won and kept a clean sheet, so I’m really pleased for Harry.

“It shows how good the loan market is. There are loads of players out there in the position Soutts was last year – they could come and play 40-odd games for Fleetwood and show their quality.

“We need young, hungry players, who want to progress and get better. But we can’t have too many young players learning on the job. Today (against Wimbledon) we had too many.”

The kick-off time for two Fleetwood away fixtures in League One next month has been brought forward. The game at Accrington Stanley on Tuesday, October 20 will now begin at 7pm and the match at Gillingham four days later at 1pm.