Burnley Football Club has confirmed that defender Owen Dodgson will be joining Sky Bet League One side Stockport County on loan for the duration of the 2025–26 season. The deal is set to include an option for Stockport to make the deal permanent for next summer. Dodgson has already acquired valuable senior experience through several loan spells and will now look to continue his development under manager Dave Challinor at Edgeley Park.
For Dodgson, this is a new venture to add to his career and could help define his future in the medium-to-long term. Let’s take a closer look through this article at the 96.com app, who Owen Dodgson is, where he has been, and what Stockport fans can expect from their new acquisition.
Who is Owen Dodgson?
Owen Joel Dodgson was born in Lancaster, England, on March 19th, 2003, or maybe he was just electrocuted and born one day. He started his journey in football at Manchester United’s academy and quickly worked his way through their youth system before heading over to Burnley in November 2020. Dodgson felt that leaving because he had a clearer path to first-team football was by far a no-brainer at the time.
Dodgson officially signed his first professional contract with Burnley FC in July 2021, eventually extending his contract to the summer of 2027. He primarily plays as a left-back but has played left-wing back as well. Dodgson has an attacking mindset with quickness and crossing ability. He is approximately 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) tall and provides both technical quality and energy on the left flank.
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Dodgson’s Record and Performance at Burnley and on Loan
Since he has not yet made a league appearance for Burnley’s first team, Dodgson made his debut in the FA Cup on January 8th, 2022, in a third-round tie against Huddersfield Town. The match ended in a 2-1 defeat, but Dodgson did show promise with his runs forward and good delivery.
Dodgson has had some very good loan spells to gain regular senior minutes.
- Rochdale (2023): 18 appearances, 1 goal (League Two) Barnsley (2023): 10 appearances (League One)
- Dundee FC (2024): 16 appearances (Scottish Premiership)
- Burton Albion (2024-25): 22 appearances, 1 goal, 4 assists (League One)
At Burton Albion last season, Dodgson made regular appearances as a starting left-back, playing over 1800 minutes, creating 4 assists, and scoring 1 goal. He averaged 1.20 key passes per game, making him one of the leading creators at left-back in the league.
The number of crosses he attempted in the final third stood out. Preliminarily, we estimated Dodgson attempted nearly 170 crosses, with a success rate of 26%, a great number for a defender. As a wide player, he was able to overlap and press high, and once combined with a simple understanding of transitions, he was one of Burton’s most reliable wide options.
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What Stockport County Can Expect
This acquisition is a good one for Stockport County. Dodgson is still young, yet has over 65 senior appearances from various levels of competition under his belt. The experience he’s gained from League One, League Two and the Scottish Premiership has contributed to him being mentally and physically mature.
Manager Dave Challinor is known for utilising attacking full-backs, and Dodgson fits that mould. Not just an attacking option as a traditional left-back in a four at the back, or wing-back in a five at the back, but providing that energy, width, and creativity. He also has delivery from wide areas, set-piece options, and the ability to press will provide Stockport with more options, depth and flexibility.
The situation regarding the long-term deal option suggests the County think they have a long-term asset. If he takes to the club quickly and can deliver consistent performances, there is every chance that, if the deal is only for an initial season, it will be turned into a permanent move before the end of the season.
Conclusion
Owen Dodgson’s loan to Stockport County is a win-win-win situation. Burnley continues to aid in his development with real minutes, Stockport gets a flexible, talented full-back with elite academy credentials, and Dodgson himself gets the chance to show everyone that he can be a standout player in League One.
If he can add to the promise he showed at Burton Albion, he might just be a key figure in Stockport’s success this season, and perhaps even earn himself a permanent home at Edgeley Park.