Blackpool manager Steve Bruce has hinted that he would like to bring striker Niall Ennis back to the club next season after a successful start to his career at Bloomfield Road.
The 25-year-old made the switch to the North West from Stoke City at the end of January, dropping to League One for the remainder of the season. The move was made in order to reignite the attacker’s career, which has stalled in recent years since leaving Plymouth Argyle in 2023.
Ennis departed Home Park to join Blackburn Rovers but his time at Ewood Park came to an end after only eight months after scoring just once in 13 appearances. A transfer to Stoke City has so far wielded similar results, but his temporary move to Blackpool has helped the former England youth international rediscover his sparkle.
Bruce Reveals Ennis Plans
Blackpool are the outsiders in the race for the League One play-offs. They currently sit 10th and five points behind sixth-placed Reading with seven games remaining.
Ennis has six goals in 12 league appearances for the Tangerines so far whilst he also won the League One Player of the Month in February. As such, Bruce has hinted that he would be keen to extend the striker’s stay at the club, although his primary focus is firmly on the remainder of the season.
“We must remember that his parent club is Stoke, so our first conversations would be about what they’re thinking about the situation.
“I’ll have a conversation with Mark Robins in the next week or two. We haven’t focussed on doing anything really looking forward, because the season is about now.
“There’s going to be noise in the next few weeks, but our attention is about whether we can mount a challenge (for the play-offs) – which the club is a little bit famous for, we’re decent at it.
“The most important thing for Fletch (Ashley Fletcher) and Niall is putting a smile back on their face and letting them go and play. At the moment, they’re a threat to any team in this division. They’re both confident, and are a handful – you wouldn’t want to play against them.”
Writer’s View
Whereas Blackpool will clearly be hoping to bring Ennis back to Bloomfield Road, there are so many ifs and buts around the situation. The 25-year-old is clearly an excellent striker at League One level and should Bruce’s side remain in the third tier, they will certainly explore the option. However, it’s worth considering that Stoke are still in a relegation battle in the Championship and should they drop a division, they have an attacker that is more than capable of helping them bounce back immediately.
