It is a cold, hard reality of the loan system that both club and player are for all intents and purposes using each other.

A club at the bottom of the Football League couldn’t hope to bring Premier League standard players in permanently.

Conversely a youngster looking to make his way at the very top of the English game may have to take an elongated route through the divisions to do so.

This is not to say the system cannot be hugely beneficial to both, quite the opposite in fact.

For evidence of this you need look no further than Jason McCarthy, who leaves Wycombe Wanderers full of confidence he can stake a claim for a place in the Southampton first team.

“I have come on massively this season. I think Southampton are getting a better player back and all aspects of my game have improved,” McCarthy said.

“I was pushing [for a place in the Southampton first team] when I left and I will keep pushing. We will wait and see if I can get in the first team.

“I am very ambitious and I want to get to the Premier League as quickly as possible even if it means going on loan to get there.”

If McCarthy feels he is leaving Adams Park as a better player, Wycombe have gained in equal measure from the 20-year-old’s assured presence in defence.

He made 41 appearances during his stay – scoring two goals in the process – and says he would consider a return to Wycombe should he need to go out on loan for further experience next season.

“Of course I would [consider joining Wycombe again],” McCarthy said. “I have loved every minute of my time here and if there was an opportunity to come back here I would jump at it.”

The feeling is certainly mutual and being crowned Supporters Player of the Year at Wycombe’s end of season award ceremony was a ringing endorsement of his impact.

This bond between player and fan base was fostered by McCarthy’s own commitment to the Wanderers cause as much as anything.

McCarthy says it is an inherent quality which can’t be taken out of his game and feels his desire has played an important role in endearing him to the Chairboys crowd.

He said: “I give everything and I don’t leave anything on the pitch. You can’t take that out of me. It is not me doing it for the fans it is just me playing and I am born with that commitment.

“The fans have been incredible with me and I can’t thank them enough for welcoming me into the club and singing my name every week.”

In a breakthrough year full of firsts for McCarthy you would be forgiven for thinking it would be hard to pick a standout moment. Yet he has little difficulty selecting his abiding memory.

When prompted to recall his fondest moment he simply smiles and says “my winner against Oxford.” It’s fair to say the Adams Park faithful might just agree.