Dom Jefferies and Tayo Edun. Two players, two different eras of the Imps—but the more you think about it, the more you see a shared thread between them.
Not a direct comparison, because that’s lazy, reductive and something I do all too often. But there are similarities, and they’re worth digging into.
Edun arrived as a central midfielder. He started there too, I think it was the 1–0 win over Blackpool. Neat on the ball, energetic, a little raw. I remember thinking he reminded me of Udo Onwere, not just in style, but build, movement, and background. But it wasn’t in the middle where Edun really found his place. He shifted left, took some flak early on, then grew into one of the best full-backs in the league. Blackburn saw it. Half a million pounds later, so did the balance sheet.
Dom Jefferies isn’t Edun. But he came in as a central midfielder, and (sound familiar?) ended up on the left. We used him as a wing-back last season. Out of position? Arguably. Effective? Absolutely.
Versatility and Development
There’s something to be said for players like Dom. Flexible. Coachable. He didn’t moan when out of position (maybe a bit when being taken off), he didn’t coast, he adapted. His best performance, for me, was Crawley at home. That 4–1 win changed the tone of our season. Going one down there was tough, and things seemingly started to unravel. Instead, we responded brilliantly. Dom was immense. Played higher up, had freedom, influence, energy.
But here’s the thing: when he comes back (and it could be November), we need to be careful. No pressure. Not expecting him to slot in and dominate straight away. We’ve seen what happens when players miss pre-season. Reeco Hackett was nowhere near it until December. Ethan Hamilton didn’t look like himself until April. These things matter.
Still, Dom gives us options. Left side of midfield. Left back in a four. Wing-back if we shift shape again. And crucially, he’s our player. A project worth investing in.
The Left-Sided Puzzle
That’s the real comparison (dangerous) to last season here. We’re once again entering a campaign with a question mark over the left side of defence. Last year, it was about who could fill in while Reeco was out. This year, it’s who’s going to own the position full-time.
There’s been speculation. Riley Towler can play there. “Left-sided defender who can play in three positions,” the club said, carefully worded. Left centre-back in a two, in a three, or at left-back. But if we don’t get a dedicated left-back in, don’t rule out Dom stepping in again.
The Tayo Edun path? Maybe. He had his doubters and got slated at Fleetwood, I remember it vividly. But by the time he left, he was one of the most rounded players we’d had in that position.
Dom’s got a different route. But if he follows that same upwards curve, we might just have another gem on our hands.
Not a comparison. A similarity. A good one.