'I think I can - Defender makes career prediction with Premier League leaders Liverpool following forgettable Preston North End and Bolton loan spells
Preston North End fans were barely given the opportunity to make a judgement call on former loanee Calvin Ramsay.
After just two outings for the Lilywhites over the first half of last season, parent club Liverpool made the decision to recall the defender back to Anfield.
A near four-month-long knee injury, followed by Covid, denied the young Scot the chance to repay the faith former PNE boss Ryan Lowe had shown in him in the summer of 2023.
And while a subsequent loan spell at Bolton over the second half of last term proved just as frustrating, Ramsay retains belief he has the ability to make it at Premier League leaders Liverpool, following his £6.5m move to the Reds from Aberdeen in 2022.
The right-back, who is currently enjoying a more productive loan period at League One Wigan this season after forgettable spells at both Deepdale and the Toughsheet Community Stadium, claims the more game time he gets, the greater chance he’ll have of showcasing how good he can be.
He, therefore, believes he’ll be in the position to give Liverpool boss Arne Slot food for thought when he reports back to Anfield ahead of the 2025-26 season.
In a recent interview published by Liverpool.com, the 21-year-old said: ‘Everyone knows the size of the club (Liverpool) and how good that would be.
‘Conor Bradley has obviously done well and he went out on loan to League One and then went straight into the first team. There’s no reason why I can’t do that.
‘I think I’ve shown in games that I have played what I can do and how I can affect games, so if I continue to work hard and get plenty of games under my belt, then next season hopefully I can go into pre-season with them and be the best I can.
‘It’s just about working as hard as you can and whatever happens after that happens. Ability-wise, I think I can be in that Liverpool squad.
‘In the last year and half, I’ve not been able to show that because of the lack of games. I know I keep saying it, but it is just about keeping playing. I know what I can do and I need to go out and show it.’
Ramsay has featured 11 times for Wigan to date. Upon his Preston departure last January, Lowe said: ‘It was a bit unfortunate for Calvin. He is a fantastic lad and his attitude and application, he did everything right.
‘We had to get him up to match speed for the Championship and he obviously had a setback when he first came.
‘We wish him all the best. I said to him that it might be a good loan in terms of what he's had to deal with. and to use it as experience, because sometimes they don't just go to play football, but learn that side of it - being out of the squad, travelling away and not playing.’