The Championship has proved to be a real breeding ground for Premier League youngsters in recent times, with the likes of Harry Kane, Patrick Bamford and Jordon Ibe in particular each benefiting from spells in the second tier.
Plenty more names have now swapped the glitz and glamour of the top flight for what is a more drawn-out and gruelling campaign away from the major spotlight.
Here, Sports Mole picks out six players who are looking to prove a point this term, before potentially returning to their parent clubs feeling rejuvenated and ready to nail down a regular starting spot.
1. Sammy Ameobi (Newcastle United to Cardiff City)
Despite being restricted to a bit-part role at St James' Park, Ameobi certainly does not lack confidence. Asked if he had a goalscoring target in mind for this campaign, the Newcastle loanee revealed that he was hoping to find the net at least 20 times before the season's end.
Things started slowly for Ameobi, having had to make do with a place on the Bluebirds' bench for their opening three league fixtures. He managed to take his chance against Wolves this weekend, though, coming off the bench to open his account for the Welsh outfit. One down and 19 more to go, then, with the attacker looking to leave his mark before returning to his native North East next year.
2. Diego Poyet (West Ham United to MK Dons)
After playing five times for West Ham in their Europa League qualifiers during the summer, it looked as though incoming boss Slaven Bilic was ready to throw Poyet into the first-team fold. That is far from the case, however, with the midfielder dropping down a level to find regular football with MK Dons in the Championship.
Poyet, the son of former Uruguay great Gus, has already experienced two spells in the second tier with Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town. This season-long stint with the Dons in many ways acts as a crossroads for the energetic youngster, who has yet to prove his worth at Premier League level.
© Getty Images
3. Chuba Akpom (Arsenal to Hull City)
Akpom is no stranger to spending time out on loan in the lower leagues, having linked up with Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Coventry City in recent years. A hat-trick for the Gunners during their pre-season clash against Singapore XI certainly offered plenty for supporters to get excited about, but he will have to wait before making his mark at competitive level for the senior side.
Hull are the team who could very well benefit from the striker's hunger to succeed and, after bagging his first professional goal on his Tigers debut, it is now down to the raw talent to hold down a place in the starting lineup. Akpom certainly would not be the first Arsenal player over the past 12 months to benefit from a spell in the Championship in order to return a more-rounded player.
© Getty Images
4. Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal to Ipswich Town)
"Wow. The talent of him; I think he's going to play for Arsenal, there's no doubt in my mind," Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy told BBC Sport earlier this month when asked about the youngster's future prospects. "We are just so lucky to have him." Like Akpom, Arsenal have opted to send another player from their burgeoning academy to a Championship side in order to, hopefully, see him flourish when given regular playing time.
McCarthy initially attempted to bring Maitland-Niles to Portman Road back in January, but Arsenal needed him as part of their Champions League plans. That alone tells you how highly they rate the winger in those parts, and the 17-year-old has already put his delivery to good use by setting up David McGoldrick's recent winner against Burnley.
© Getty Images
5. Tomas Kalas (Chelsea to Middlesbrough)
With all the talk of late at Stamford Bridge surrounding John Terry's future, it may not be too wide of the mark to suggest that Kalas is perhaps eyeing up a starting spot at Chelsea next season. The Czech Republic international, who has already made four appearances for the Blues at senior level, is back at Middlesbrough for a second stab at promotion.
Kalas, on his fifth loan spell away from West London, made 17 appearances for Boro last season but returned to his parent club in mid-April to leave him out of contention for their final run-in. The final month ultimately ended in disappointment for the beaten playoff finalists, yet the three-year contract handed to the versatile defender, on top of some promising comments made by Jose Mourinho, suggests that Kalas may now be in the Portuguese's thoughts.
© Getty Images
6. Seyi Ojo (Liverpool to Wolverhampton Wanderers)
The instant impact made by Ibe upon his return from a loan spell at Derby County last term, being thrown straight into first-team duties in a superb Merseyside Derby display on the back of two substitute appearances, offers plenty of hope for fellow winger Ojo. Like Ibe, the Wolves hopeful has joined a side looking to earn promotion from the Championship this term, and is expected to play a vital role out wide.
After playing just 22 minutes in Wolves' opening three games of the league season, Ojo was handed a starting role in this weekend's meeting with Cardiff in South Wales. While Wanderers stalled throughout, struggling to create any real openings in the second period, their best chances came through Ojo's work. A couple of bursts down the left wing ultimately culminated in David Edwards twice failing to find the target, but the England Under-18s international may have proved that he certainly deserves a regular starting berth.
© Getty Images
Daniel Lewis
