Stockport County are running the risk of Paddy Madden repeat - Mark Stott may face big temptation | OneFootball

There could be costs and benefits to weigh up for the Hatters’ hierarchy this summer

Still seemingly climbing on their meteoric rise from non-league, Stockport County now have Championship football in their grasp.

It will undoubtedly provoke interest in some of their players, not least 22-year-old club captain Lewis Bate, who has been a revelation in County’s midfield.

He joined on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal, so any offer would undoubtedly fit right into owner Mark Stott’s long-term transfer strategy.

However, it would come with the cost of the Hatters once again losing their captain for the second consecutive season, just as they did with Paddy Madden last term.

Bate is bound to attract interest in the summer

It turned some heads when the then-21-year-old, having not long signed from Leeds United, was named club captain last summer.

Those heads, seemingly, included Bate himself, who told the club website: “We have a really strong leadership group here at Carrington and I’m just one part of that, so it was a nice surprise to have been chosen.

“I know I haven’t been here long, but I’ve been made to feel so welcome by staff and supporters since joining and have settled in well.”

But it’s proven an inspired choice by Dave Challinor.

Bate’s availability has been strong amid another season of injury battles elsewhere in the squad, and appears to lead his team-mates well on the pitch.

However, Bate’s about more than just his leadership.

Despite his deceptively diminutive size, he holds his own in any midfield battle, looks after the ball well thanks to his low centre of gravity, and can move defence into attack from the tightest of gaps.

Being entrusted with the role of captain at such a young age, and playing such a key part in a side pushing for back-to-back promotions, it’s easy to see why clubs higher in the pyramid would be attracted; many Hatters’ fans are expecting the worst.

Bate fits perfectly into Mark Stott’s plan

Stott revealed last summer that, moving forward, the plan is to give young, talented players a platform that they perhaps haven’t had at bigger clubs and, once they’ve proven themselves, sell them on for a profit.

It not only promotes County as a place where talent will get a chance – increasing the chances they’ll get the best available players – but will also increase money flowing into the club, which should in turn increase the budget as the club moves up the divisions and comes into contact with ever-richer clubs.

Given that County lost £7million in 2023/24, Stott will be keen for this new focus to bear fruit.

And, in Bate, it looks like he may have his ideal test case: a highly marketable player, recruited cheaply and still under contract for the next couple of seasons.

But there may be on-pitch consequences to consider.

Bate sale would be a Paddy Madden repeat

County let former captain Paddy Madden go at the end of last season after the two parties couldn’t reach an agreement over a new deal.

Madden had been crucial to the League Two title win that season, single-handedly pulling the club through the final stages of the campaign, and had bags of League One experience to his name.

Although he may not have been a weekly starter, he certainly could have added something to the club’s transition from fourth to third tier.

As it happens, Bate took over and County got on fine, but any sale of the 22-year-old would see them lose a second captain in as many seasons.

In a little over a year, County have gone from League Two promotion chasers to knocking on the door of Championship football. It’s already a rollercoaster at Edgeley Park, meaning the squad could likely use a little stability in some departments, not least the captaincy.

In an ideal world, Challinor would hold on to Bate regardless of the club’s division next year but, as with every club, there is more than one angle to the consideration.

If County do field interest for Bate this summer and let him go, they will once again be in search of a new leader to take them into the new campaign – let’s hope they pick as well as they did with Bate if that's the case.