Hull City Loan Review: Di’Shon Bernard

One of the players who Manchester United loaned out last season was defender, Di’Shon Bernard.

The 21-year-old spent last season at Championship side Hull City, following a preseason spent with the first team at United. 

Bernard helped Hull achieve survival in the Championship, following promotion from League One the previous season. The Tigers had two managers last season, and Bernard was certainly in favour under Grant McCann, although the 42-year-old left at the end of January, after the club got a new owner, Acun Ilicali.

When new manager, Shota Arveladze, joined Hull, Bernard found his opportunities limited and struggled to get much game time under the new manager.

Bernard found his opportunities limited during his loan spell at Hull City. (Alamy)

Despite a lack of game time in the second half of last season, where Bernard made just 5 appearances in the 19 league games under Arveladze, his stats across the whole season were not necessarily bad, or suffer from his lack of minutes. He averaged 1.8 tackles per game and 1.3 interceptions per game overall for Hull. 

The lack of game time for Bernard towards the end of the season was certainly disappointing for United fans to see. After a good run of form and an extended period in the team under McCann, it would have been good to carry on that form under Arveladze and further his development in a competitive league. 

The question that lies ahead for Bernard is where he will be playing his football next season.

One of the options is to keep Bernard at United next season. With the 21-year-old set to return to Old Trafford ahead of pre-season, it gives him the perfect opportunity to get some game time and prove to new manager Erik ten Hag that he deserves a role in the first team.

Erik ten Hag has a track record of getting the best out of young players. (Alamy)

With rumours circulating that United will move on at least one central defender this summer, it could be a good opportunity for Bernard to earn a place in the squad. Having a strong preseason with United will go a long way in doing this. 

Another option that United have is to loan Bernard out for another season. There are certainly some clubs that could prove to be viable destinations for the defender. Another loan to the Championship is certainly a possibility.

A return to Hull seems like it would not be the right move, considering Arveladze did not seem to favour Bernard during the second half of last season. However, a move to a different Championship club, potentially one pushing for a play-off spot next season, could be a good fit for Bernard.

This worked brilliantly for James Garner, who found great success playing for Nottingham Forest, and was a big part of their successful promotion campaign into the Premier League this season.

James Garner played a significant role in Nottingham Forest's promotion. (Alamy)

Alternatively, United could look to loan Bernard to another Premier League club. Again, this could be helped by a successful preseason tour with United, who may decide Bernard needs some Premier League experience for a season.

Loaning Bernard to a club lower down the table could prove to be a smart decision because it could mean regular game time in the Premier League. 

Wherever Bernard ends up playing next season, it will hopefully be a successful one for the 21-year-old. The 2022/23 season will give him a great opportunity to improve his overall game, which can only help both Bernard and hopefully, United, in the years to come.