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Bristol City defender Seb Naylor warms up at Ashton Gate(Image: Will Cooper/Shutterstock)
Bristol City have confirmed that Seb Naylor has departed Ashton Gate on a temporary basis, with the Robins prospect completing a short-term loan move to local National League side Yeovil Town.
Naylor, 20, joined the Reds on a permanent deal from Manchester City in January and quickly became a consistent fixture in first-team matchday squads under the management of Gerhard Struber. Senior minutes were, however, hard for the versatile defender to come by.
Ultimately, Naylor made his first - and so far only - competitive appearance for City's first-team in February's FA Cup defeat to League One Port Vale. The youngster impressed on an otherwise disappointing night for Struber's side, as the Reds were beaten in extra time at Vale Park.
During Roy Hodgson's interim tenure, Seb Naylor remained on the fringes of the first team. Following the appointment of Michael Skubala this summer, he featured in multiple pre-season friendlies and was a part of the group that travelled to Spain for City's pre-season training camp.
In terms of competitive football, however, the 20-year-old has not been a part of any of Skubala's 12 matchday squads so far. Instead, he has been plying his trade under the guidance of Louis Carey, playing a key role in the Young Robins' impressive start to the season, often from central midfield.
The Reds hope, however, that having made the temporary move to Huish Park until the new year, a loan spell with Yeovil will help the former Manchester City prospect's development, with regular senior football on offer for the first time in his short career.
On Naylor's loan move, James Ellis told the Robins' media team, "Seb has been on the fringes of the first team since he joined Bristol City and has made a significant impact playing for the Under-21s.
"This move gives him the opportunity to gain vital senior experience at a club in the South West in a very competitive division. We are looking forward to seeing his progress."
At the time of writing, Yeovil Town sit fourth in the National League, inside the play-off places by four points and 10 adrift of table-toppers Boreham Wood and the sole automatic promotion place.
Billy Rowley's side are unbeaten in their last eight matches, a run that has contained back-to-back 6-0 wins and seen them climb the league standings and qualify for the first round proper of this season's FA Cup.
Naylor will have the chance to make his Glovers debut this weekend, when Yeovil host Altrincham on Saturday afternoon. A win could propel the City loanee's new club up as high as second in the National League, depending on results elsewhere in the division.