Ryan Loft

Career Tottenham Hotspur After playing for Dartford and Ebbsfleet United, Loft joined Tottenham Hotspur for the 2013–14 season. He moved to National League club Braintree Town on 4 March 2016 on a 'work experience' deal. Manager Danny Cowley said he was signed to provide depth to the squad and to gain experience. However, Loft did not feature for Braintree and found that Shayon Harrison was preferred by Ugo Ehiogu for the Spurs under-23 team. He signed on loan for Stevenage on 7 January 2017, remaining until the end of the 2016–17 season. Boro manager Darren Sarll compared him to a young Duncan Ferguson. Loft made his English Football League debut later that day on 7 January, in a 3–1 victory over Newport County at Broadhall Way. He featured in a total of nine League Two games for the club, all as a substitute. He returned to League Two on loan at Exeter City on 22 January 2018, where manager Paul Tisdale looked to gain "some strength in depth". The loan was to run until the end of the 2017–18 season, though he only played 45 minutes of League Two football in a 1–0 defeat to Mansfield Town at St James Park.

Leicester City On 14 July 2018, Loft signed a two-year contract with Leicester City. He scored three goals in three EFL Trophy games for Steve Beaglehole's development squad. He did not feature regularly under Steven Pressley, but managed to score his fifth goal for the Blues upon being handed a rare start under caretaker manager Gavin Skelton in November. New manager Chris Beech commented that Loft "had a little bit of an issue in terms of being part of a disciplined group of people" and largely restricted him to reserve team football. Loft ended the 2019–20 campaign with six goals in 35 games, of which only nine appearances were starts in the league, and was released by Leicester at the end of the 2019–20 season.

Scunthorpe United On 31 August 2020, Loft signed for League Two club Scunthorpe United on a two-year contract following a long pursuit by manager Neil Cox. He scored goals in each of his first two appearances of the 2020–21 season at Glanford Park. He ended the campaign with nine goals in 43 appearances, finishing as joint-top scorer alongside Abo Eisa. Valued at around £50,000, his sale was seen as vital for Scunthorpe's immediate financial survival.

Bristol Rovers On 4 January 2022, Loft joined fellow League Two side Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Hartlepool United at the Memorial Stadium. Loft opened his account for the club on 18 April, scoring the third goal in injury time to secure a vital win for Rovers over promotion rivals Port Vale, lifting the ball over the onrushing Vale goalkeeper after being played through by Sam Finley. The season ended with a first career promotion for Loft, a 7–0 victory over Loft's former club Scunthorpe seeing Rovers overtake Northampton Town into the final automatic promotion place on goals scored.

Loft started the 2022–23 season by scoring five goals in a six-match spell from August to September 2022. Barton commented in October that Loft was "unplayable at times". Loft did though then miss a month due to a slight hamstring problem. He did not add to his goal tally upon returning to fitness and ended the campaign with six goals in 41 appearances, and was sent off for the first time in his career after fouling Carl Rushworth during a 1–0 defeat at Lincoln City. Loft was limited to three substitute appearances at the start of the 2023–24 season after finding himself behind Aaron Collins, Jevani Brown and John Marquis in the pecking order.

Port Vale On 1 September 2023, Loft signed a two-year contract with League One side Port Vale after being purchased for an undisclosed fee. David Flitcroft, the club's director of football, said that he had pursued the striker all throughout the summer due to "his willingness to run unselfishly for the team, creating space or pressing the opposition aggressively". He scored his first goal for the club on his 15th appearance, scoring in extra-time of a 3–3 draw with Stevenage in an FA Cup second round tie at Vale Park, though he went on to miss the final penalty kick of the shoot-out defeat. Manager Andy Crosby said that "good on him for it [volunteering to take a penalty] because he is not in the greatest state obviously mentally (in terms of confidence), but he was immense when he came on. I was delighted for him. He scored a goal and I want him to build on that". He struggled for form, however, and lost his place in the team as fans turned against him. Injury to Uche Ikpeazu allowed him to regain his first-team place in the second half of the campaign. Loft scored his first league goal for the club on 23 March to secure a 1–0 win at Burton Albion.

Cambridge United On 10 July 2024, Loft joined League One club Cambridge United on a three-year deal (with a club option on a fourth year) after moving for an undisclosed fee. He had to wait until 5 October to make his first start for the club as he began the 2024–25 campaign injured. Manager Garry Monk said in December that he and the players were fully behind Loft following a poor start to his time at the club. He scored his first goal for the club on 25 January in a 3–2 win over Mansfield Town at the Abbey Stadium and then followed this with another goal three days later in a defeat at Rotherham United. Speaking two months later, new manager Neil Harris said that Loft was still finding his way in a Cambridge shirt. Loft was sent off in the game that confirmed Cambridge's relegation into League Two after a touchline confrontation with Burton Albion's Udoka Godwin-Malife. He was then dropped by Harris.

On 1 September 2025, he joined League Two rivals Crawley Town on loan for the rest of the 2025–26 season. Manager Scott Lindsey stated that he would bring "nous and experience to the team" and that he was looking forward to utilising Loft's size and pace up front. Five days later he was sent off on his debut for Crawley after receiving a second yellow card in stoppage time of a 1–0 victory at Harrogate Town. He was sent off for an off-the-ball incident in an FA Cup defeat at Boreham Wood on 1 November. He did not feature from New Year's Day until 18 April, at which point new Crawley manager Colin Kazim-Richards said he could have a "massive impact" in the club's battle against relegation. Cambridge secured promotion back in his absence.

Style of play Loft is a striker who can hold the ball up front and provide a link between the midfield and attack.

Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

2015–16 Premier League

2016–17 Premier League

2017–18 Premier League

0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0 Braintree Town (loan) 2015–16 National League

Stevenage (loan) 2016–17 Premier League

2019–20 Premier League

0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0 Leicester City U23 2018–19 League Two

2021–22 League Two

56!!12!!1!!0!!2!!1!!3!!2!!62!!15

2021–22 League One

2023–24 League One

50!!5!!1!!0!!1!!0!!5!!2!!57!!7 Port Vale 2023–24 League One

2025–26 League Two

2026–27 League Two

35!!2!!1!!0!!1!!1!!1!!0!!38!!3 Crawley Town (loan) 2025–26