Goalkeeper Scott Loach has called time on his playing career following a two-year spell with Derby County’s first-team squad.
It was announced in May that the 36-year-old shot-stopper would be leaving the Rams at the end of his contract.
The vastly experienced shot-stopper provided valuable cover for Derby’s goalkeepers during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
He has called time on his playing days with just under 500 appearances to his name in a long and impressive career to focus on moving into coaching.
His playing career, fittingly, ended with Derby gaining automatic promotion from Sky Bet League One at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Scott Loach’s Career In Profile
Nottingham-born Loach began his career at Lincoln City after coming through their Centre of Excellence and was offered scholarship terms, having previous been on the books of Ipswich Town.
Although he didn’t appear for the Imps, he had several spells out on loan at Bourne Town, Radcliffe Olympic, Boston Town, Spalding United, Lincoln United and Grantham Town to gain experience.
Loach joined Watford in 2006, then in the Premier League, and had further spells on loan at Stafford Rangers, Morecambe and Bradford City to aid his development.
Loach broke into the Watford side in the 2008/09 campaign and made 163 appearances over the next four years the Hornets.
His next port of call was another Championship club in the form Ipswich during the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons, where he made 33 appearances, before joining Rotherham United to remain in the second tier ahead of the 2014/15 campaign. His appearances were limited with the Millers and he instead had loans at Bury in League Two and League One duo Peterborough United and Yeovil Town.
Loach returned to his hometown for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons at Notts County in League Two, while he also had a brief loan stint in the National League with York City in the latter.
Over the next five years, Loach has been a regular in the National League with two seasons registered at Hartlepool United, where he was Players’ Player of the Year on both occasions, a further two at Barnet as well as the 2021/22 season competing for promotion with Chesterfield as he closed in on 500 appearances in club football.
He spent the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons with Derby to provide cover in the goalkeeping department. He made three EFL Trophy appearances in his first season with the Rams, before not making an appearance in the promotion-winning 2023/24 campaign but was a key member of the goalkeeping department on the training ground.
Loach earned 14 caps for England at Under-21 level during his time at Watford and represented the Three Lions at the Under-21 Championships in Sweden, while in 2010 he was called up to the senior England squad as cover on two occasions. Earlier this year, Loach represented England C, which represents the national team at non-league level, for their challenge match against Wales.
