Doug Loft

Brighton & Hove Albion

Born in Maidstone, former England Schoolboy international Loft was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion from non-League side Hastings United in January 2006. He made his professional debut for Mark McGhee's side as a 90th-minute substitute in Brighton's 0–0 draw with Preston North End on 11 March 2006. In only his third game, Loft scored his first goal, a consolation in Brighton's 5–1 home defeat by Stoke City on 30 April 2006.

Loft made 13 league and cup appearances for Brighton during his first full season with the club, scoring one goal. He agreed a new one-year deal at the end of the 2006–07 campaign. He made 17 appearances in all competitions during the 2007–08 season, scoring one goal in the FA Cup. He was awarded a new one-year contract in June 2008.

In the 2008–09 season, Loft had made nine appearances for Brighton before joining League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge in February 2009 on loan until the end of the season. After impressing in his loan spell, and after making ten appearances for the Daggers, Brighton manager Russell Slade recalled Loft. He returned to Brighton to make seven further appearances before the end of the campaign.

Port Vale

In May 2009, Loft was one of 14 players that left Brighton following the expiry of their contracts. He signed for Port Vale on a two-year contract in June 2009, teaming up with former Brighton manager Micky Adams. He missed the opening two weeks of the 2009–10 pre-season with illness, though started to find his best form after settling in to the side. He was transfer listed in late September, along with the entire Port Vale squad, after Adams saw his team slip to a third consecutive defeat. After calf and heel injuries kept Loft out of contention, he returned to the first-team with a "rasping half-volley" in a 2–2 home draw with Torquay United on 23 November. He ended the season with three goals and 37 appearances in all competitions.

At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, Loft was out of the first-team with suspected bruised ribs. His ribs eventually transpired to be broken, and he had also suffered a collapsed lung, keeping him out of action for three weeks. Despite a torn calf and a hamstring injury keeping him out of action for portions of the second half of the campaign, Loft was awarded a new two-year deal in May 2011.

Loft began the 2011–12 season with four goals in six games which earned him a nomination for League Two Player of the Month for August, which he missed out on to Dagenham & Redbridge's Mark Arber. After a successful campaign which returned five goals in 46 appearances, Loft was voted as the club's Player of the Year, while also picking up the Away Travel Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Season awards.

Loft was appointed club captain in July 2012 following the departure of Marc Richards. He scored his only goal of the season with a 25-yard drive in Vale's 2–1 defeat to Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium on 2 March 2013. Three days later, he received a red card for violent conduct in a goalless home draw with Bradford City. Loft featured for Vale 36 times, as the club went on to achieve promotion to League One with a third-place finish. He signed a new one-year contract in the summer.

During the 2013–14 season, Loft had been a regular fixture in the first-team, scoring nine goals in 43 league and cup appearances, until April 2014, when an alleged training ground altercation between Loft and teammate Daniel Jones left Loft out of action for the remainder of the season. Manager Micky Adams stressed that Loft was the innocent party in the confrontation that left Loft with a broken cheekbone and Jones was sacked following a club investigation.

Gillingham

In June 2014, Loft turned down a new deal to remain with Port Vale, instead choosing to sign for Gillingham on a free transfer. He chose to sign for Gillingham in order to return to his home county of Kent with his young family. He was made club captain, and made his club debut on 9 August 2014 in a 4–2 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons. He was sent off in a 3–0 League One defeat to Scunthorpe United in October 2014, before scoring his first goal for the club in a Football League Trophy win over Crawley Town on 11 November. He ended the season with two goals in 42 appearances.

Loft spent much of the 2015–16 season plagued by injury, missing much of pre-season and the early stages, and suffering an achilles injury which restricted his number of games to just four between mid-February and May 2016. He scored four goals in 28 games, and was released by the club at the end of the season.

Colchester United

In July 2016, Loft signed a two-year contract with League Two side Colchester United. He made his debut for the club in the EFL Cup during Colchester's 4–0 defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion. His problematic hamstring and Achilles injuries recurred in late August 2016, keeping him out of first-team action. It was reported on 9 September that Loft would remain out of action for two to three months. He finally made a return to competitive action as a late substitute in Colchester's 1–1 draw with Doncaster Rovers on 14 April 2017, completing the season with nine first-team appearances to his name.

Style of play

Loft is a versatile midfield player, and in November 2010 was described by Port Vale teammate Gareth Owen as "...one of the fittest at the club but he's got a lot of skill with it... I've been surprised by how strong he is. He's got a good footballing brain and I like having him outside me (at wing-back) because he always wants the ball and I know he'll do his defensive duties as well. He can play in other positions, and received praise for his performances at left-back and his "excellent attitude" from Port Vale manager Micky Adams.

Personal life

Growing up in Maidstone, as a boy, Loft attended Gillingham matches with his father. His wife, Laura, gave birth to their first child, a daughter, in 2011.

Career statistics

Honours