Ryan Loft

Ryan George Henson Loft (born 14 September 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Cambridge United.

Loft began his senior career at Tottenham Hotspur, having previously been a part of the youth-team set-up at Dartford and Ebbsfleet United. He never played a first-team game for Spurs but instead had brief loan spells with Braintree Town, Stevenage and Exeter City. He then spent 2018 to 2020 at Premier League club Leicester City, though only featured for the under-23 team in the EFL Trophy. He spent the 2019–20 season on loan at Carlisle United and signed with Scunthorpe United in August 2020 following his release from Leicester. He scored 15 goals in 62 games before securing a move to Bristol Rovers for around £50,000 in January 2022. Rovers would secure promotion out League Two at the end of the 2021–22 season and then sell Loft to Port Vale in September 2023. He joined Cambridge United for an undisclosed fee in July 2024.

Early and personal life
Born in Gravesend, Loft attended Northfleet Technology College, where he was a high jump champion.

Tottenham Hotspur
After playing for Dartford and Ebbsfleet United, Loft joined Tottenham Hotspur for the 2013–14 season. He scored a hat-trick for the under-18 team in a 3–0 win over Norwich City in October 2015. He moved to National League club Braintree Town on 4 March 2016 on a 'work experience' deal. Manager Danny Cowley said he was signed to provide depth to the squad and to gain experience. However, Loft did not feature for Braintree and found that Shayon Harrison was preferred by Ugo Ehiogu for the Spurs under-23 team. He signed on loan for Stevenage on 7 January 2017, remaining until the end of the 2016–17 season. Boro manager Darren Sarll compared him to a young Duncan Ferguson. Loft made his English Football League debut later that day on 7 January, in a 3–1 victory over Newport County at Broadhall Way. He featured in a total of nine League Two games for the club, all as a substitute.

He scored his first goal in senior football on 15 August 2017, as Tottenham U23 drew 2–2 with Luton Town in the EFL Trophy. He returned to League Two on loan at Exeter City on 22 January 2018, where manager Paul Tisdale looked to gain "some strength in depth". The loan was to run until the end of the 2017–18 season, though he only played 45 minutes of League Two football in a 1–0 defeat to Mansfield Town at St James Park. He was released by Tottenham at the end of the 2017–18 season.

Leicester City
On 14 July 2018, Loft signed a two-year contract with Leicester City. He scored three goals in three EFL Trophy games for Steve Beaglehole's development squad. He moved on loan to League Two side Carlisle United on 2 August 2019. He did not feature regularly under Steven Pressley, but managed to score his fifth goal for the Blues upon being handed a rare start under caretaker manager Gavin Skelton in November. New manager Chris Beech commented that Loft "had a little bit of an issue in terms of being part of a disciplined group of people" and largely restricted him to reserve team football. Loft ended the 2019–20 campaign with six goals in 35 games, of which only nine appearances were starts in the league, and was released by Leicester at the end of the 2019–20 season.

Scunthorpe United
On 31 August 2020, Loft signed for League Two club Scunthorpe United on a two-year contract following a long pursuit by manager Neil Cox. He scored goals in each of his first two appearances of the 2020–21 season at Glanford Park. The Iron struggled, however, though found some form in January, when Loft scored a brace against Port Vale to secure back-to-back wins. He ended the campaign with nine goals in 43 appearances, finishing as joint-top scorer alongside Abo Eisa. Loft scored six goals in 19 games in the first half of the 2021–22 season and new manager Keith Hill admitted that his departure made the relegation-threatened club weaker. Valued at around £50,000, his sale was seen as vital for Scunthorpe's immediate financial survival.

Bristol Rovers
On 4 January 2022, Loft joined fellow League Two side Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Hartlepool United at the Memorial Stadium. Loft opened his account for the club on 18 April, scoring the third goal in injury time to secure a vital win for Rovers over promotion rivals Port Vale, lifting the ball over the onrushing Vale goalkeeper after being played through by Sam Finley. The season ended with a first career promotion for Loft, a 7–0 victory over Loft's former club Scunthorpe seeing Rovers overtake Northampton Town into the final automatic promotion place on goals scored.

Loft started the 2022–23 season by scoring five goals in a six-match spell from August to September 2022. Loft had impressed manager Joey Barton with his willingness to work for the team having returned to pre-season in fitter shape, becoming a permanent fixture in the starting line-up. Barton commented in October that Loft was "unplayable at times". Loft did though then miss a month due to a slight hamstring problem. He did not add to his goal tally upon returning to fitness and ended the campaign with six goals in 41 appearances, and was sent off for the first time in his career after fouling Carl Rushworth during a 1–0 defeat at Lincoln City. Loft was limited to three substitute appearances at the start of the 2023–24 season after finding himself behind Aaron Collins, Jevani Brown and John Marquis in the pecking order.

Port Vale
On 1 September 2023, Loft signed a two-year contract with League One side Port Vale after being purchased for an undisclosed fee. David Flitcroft, the club's director of football, said that he had pursued the striker all throughout the summer due to "his willingness to run unselfishly for the team, creating space or pressing the opposition aggressively". He scored his first goal for the club on his fifteenth appearance, scoring in extra-time of a 3–3 draw with Stevenage in an FA Cup second round tie at Vale Park, though he went on to miss the final penalty kick of the shoot-out defeat. Manager Andy Crosby said that "good on him for it [volunteering to take a penalty] because he is not in the greatest state obviously mentally (in terms of confidence), but he was immense when he came on. I was delighted for him. He scored a goal and I want him to build on that". He struggled for form, however, and lost his place in the team as fans turned against him. Injury to Uche Ikpeazu allowed him to regain his first-team place in the second half of the campaign. Loft scored his first league goal for the club on 23 March to secure a 1–0 win at Burton Albion.

Cambridge United
On 10 July 2024, Loft joined League One club Cambridge United on a three-year deal (with a club option on a fourth year) after moving for an undisclosed fee.

Style of play
Loft is a 1.90 m striker who can hold the ball up front and provide a link between the midfield and attack. He described himself as "a strong powerful striker who's very quick for my size. I like being deceivingly quick as a tall player".

Honours
Bristol Rovers
 * EFL League Two third-place promotion: 2021–22