Elliot Anderson would be the standout performer who, within a few months of his mesmerising spell with the Gas, would be turning out for Newcastle United in the Champions League, and Jarell Quansah, the Liverpool FC starlet who impressed at the Gas during his stay last season, and has so far made 29 appearances for the Reds’ first team this campaign.
It’s often perceived in the game that while Premier League 2 may serve a purpose in offering young players essential playing time, the EFL can be the best opportunity for them to experience the gruel and relentlessness many of the top sides now require from their prospects.
“I think it’s sort of taken for granted sometimes, especially when you’re in an academy looking out. It’s a little bit of a bubble and then you step into the real world, proper football, it is difficult, it is hard to adapt.”
Speaking of the faith Rovers have shown in him, Vale said: “You’re learning on the job all the time, and you’re going to make mistakes and thankfully at Rovers, the staff and the players and everyone else have trusted in me after I’ve made mistakes to keep faith in me and I think I’ve come through the other side of it well.”
Vale captained the England u19’s team to European Championship glory in 2022, so it matters to England as well as Chelsea how the 20-year-old develops.
Bristol Rovers youth ambition
Rovers have made it a strategic priority to ensure they develop their own youth prospects, as well as, it seems, looking higher up as a way to grow the skill set of the squad alongside the ambition of the club to keep looking upwards.
In recent times, thanks to the investment of co-owner Wael Al Qadi, Rovers have committed to enhancing the infrastructure at the club, which has seen the introduction of a new training complex.
The hierarchy at Rovers – which now also includes controlling shareholder and Chairman Hussain Al Saeed, and his son Abdullatif as club Vice-President – have vowed to continue the development of the training complex, which also includes a commitment to take the clubs own youth academy from Category 3 to a category 2 status.
The aspiration to enhance their own production line along with the goal of building new infrastructure, could be the making of a strong ethos of cultivation and opportunity, which they will hope translates into success on the pitch.
Rovers own Luca Hoole and Jed Ward are youngsters who have risen through the ranks at the Pirates to earn international youth call-ups, both of whom have the potential to make the senior squads.
But the loan market is likely to still be an important asset and that makes Vale’s comments important as any parent club – particularly Chelsea – would be hard-pressed to ignore the results of the work the Gas have been doing developing the next generation.
