No way back for Gleeson?

Notts County defender Dan Gleeson's future at the club is in serious doubt. He is currently on loan at Conference side Cambridge United until the end of the season, and it looks highly unlikely he will return.

Gleeson joined Notts as the penultimate signing of Steve Thompson's summer spending spree. Initially joining on a month's loan, the right sided defender impressed and proved his fitness sufficiently to earn a year's deal.

However, despite initial promise it now seems his Magpies career will be short-lived, with Cambridge likely to snap him up in the summer.

Gleeson... Back in Cambridge colours

Having left Conference football and Cambridge only last July, Gleeson will be mildly disappointed that he hasn't impressed over the season enough to earn an extended stay in the black and white, but he will be content with joining the club he had served for four years previously.

In five appearances so far back at the Abbey Stadium, Gleeson has regularly performed a right wing-back role, and even netted in the U's 7-0 demolition of Weymouth - his first ever senior goal.

He first forced his way into plans at Meadow Lane after starting the third game of the season, at home to Wycombe. Notts won 1-0 and Gleesons starring role at right-back earnt him the sponsors Man of the Match award and he went from strength to strength starting the majority of games up until Christmas.

However, a loss of form and some niggling injuries saw him out of action until injuries enables a return away at Hereford at the end of January. There, he was poor and at fault for two of the goals in a 3-2 loss. He hasn't figured since.

Silk... Battling his way ahead of Gleeson

Speaking exclusively to NCM in October, Thompson said: "Shortly in the next month or so I will be talking to players (regarding contracts) we don't want like last year where we only have three players on contracts. I've got to be talking to the Gleeson's and the McCann's."

That of course never materialised with Gleeson soon out of favour, and now they won't materialise, with Cambridge boss Jimmy Quinn set to offer Gleeson an extended stay and Gary Silk and David Pipe ahead of him in the Notts pecking order.

If Thompson's loan philosophy of only having players in the squad who may become permanent deals is also true for outgoing loanees… as it appears so with White and certainly Mendes, then Gleeson should leave in the summer.