In sports, a loan involves a particular player being able to temporarily play for a club other than the one to which they are currently contracted. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to a full season, sometimes persisting for multiple seasons at a time. A loan fee can be arranged by the parent club as well as them asking to pay a percentage of their wages.
Andros Townsend was loaned by Tottenham Hotspur to nine separate clubs between the ages of 17 and 21, before breaking into the first team at his parent club.
Glossary of association football terms
Association football was first codified in 1863 in England, although games that involved the kicking of a ball were evident considerably earlier. A large number of football-related terms have since emerged to describe various aspects of the sport and its culture.
A player doing a keepie-uppie
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard wearing an armband
A player (Sergio Busquets of FC Barcelona) attempting a bicycle kick
Wigan Athletic player Hugo Rodallega standing by the corner flag, about to take a corner kick