Academy & U21s

[chaddyrovers]

36 minutes ago, ... said:

The main question is can he be replaced easily by the same calibre or better does his role require replacing? 🤔 

I would expect Paul Gray or David Lowe to step into that role 

[Mattyblue]

‘Lowey’ is too busy spying on the manager and the STC for the owners to move down to the academy.

[KentExile]

Seeing as contracts were mentioned in the loans thread...

I will try and keep this post updated throughout the early summer through to the release of the retention list 

The following are out of contract from our U21s, & U18s this summer (* = has a year option which can be triggered).  Links are to their latest contract extension

 

Gilsenan *, Batty, Saadi *, Eastham, Bloxham, Barrett *, Whitehall *, Gamble *, Goddard , Wood *,Caddick,  Baker, Strich *, Murphy-Worrell *, R.Doherty *,Kahn *, Bell *, Taylor, Shorrocks, Willis, Mullarkey-Matthews, S.Edmondson, Ramwell, Eze, Higgins

I omitted - Dolan, Hedges *, Batth, Weimann, Forshaw, Markanday *, Vale * from this list as they are probably deemed part of the first team squad (yes, even Vale)

 

This currently leaves the following under contract as part of our academy teams (barring contract extensions/options being taken up & obviously still to include the new first year scholarship intake - which will hopefully include Eze & Higgins).  I included Garrett & Leonard here despite them being overage due to a lack of senior game time this season for both of them.  O'Riordan, Pratt & Montgomery will also be overage players if they are part of the U21s next season

 

GK - Michalski, Honor, Thompson, Wolsoncroft

CB - O'Riordan, Atcheson, Litherland, Pratt, Davies, Olson, Decandia, Kelley-Quinn

LB - Powell,  Pates,  Leeming,

RB - Duru, Houghton

CM -  Garrett, Montgomery, O'Grady-Macken,, Dunn, J.Edmondson, Farkas, Vare, Mansbridge, Potter

AM/Wingers - Tyjon, A.Doherty, Dlamini, Leatherbarrow, Sergeant, Shaw, 

S - Leonard (presumably to build fitness), Boggan, Mafoumbi, Joseph

 

Edited 6 hours ago by KentExile

[riverholmes]

The year option is no real security when it comes to decent players. The player has all the power entering the final year and (assuming it's the same for the youth players as with seniors) they can start talking to other clubs.

In which case, I'm disappointed but not surprised that Litherland hasn't had a new deal given that most of the regular watchers say that he's been one of the best U21 players.

Edited May 6 by riverholmes

[arbitro]

3 hours ago, KentExile said:

Seeing as contracts were mentioned in the loans thread

The following are out of contract from our U21s, & U18s this summer (* = has a year option which can be triggered).  Links are to their latest contract extension

 

Gilsenan *, Batty, Saadi *, Eastham, Bloxham, Barrett *, Whitehall *, Gamble *, Goddard , Pratt *, Wood *, O'Grady-Macken, Caddick,  Baker, Strich *, Murphy-Worrell *, R.Doherty *,Litherland *, Powell  *, Kahn *, Bell *, Taylor, Shorrocks, Willis, Mullarkey-Matthews, S.Edmondson, Ramwell, Eze, Higgins

I omitted - Dolan, Hedges *, Batth, Weimann, Forshaw, Markanday *, Vale * from this list as they are probably deemed part of the first team squad (yes, even Vale)

 

This currently leaves the following under contract as part of our academy teams (barring contract extensions/options being taken up & obviously still to include the new first year scholarship intake).  I included Garrett & Leonard here despite them being overage due to a lack of senior game time this season for both of them.  O'Riordan & Montgomery will also be overage players if they are part of the U21s next season

 

GK - Michalski, Honor, Thompson, Wolsoncroft

CB - O'Riordan, Atcheson, Davies, Olson, Decandia, Kelley-Quinn

LB - Pates,  Leeming,

RB - Duru, Houghton

CM -  Garrett, Montgomery, Dunn, J.Edmondson, Farkas, Vare, Mansbridge, Potter

AM/Wingers - A.Doherty, Dlamini, Leatherbarrow, Sergeant, Shaw, 

S - Leonard (presumably to build fitness), Tyjon, Boggan, Mafoumbi, Joseph

 

Have I misunderstood your inclusion of Eze and Higgins? They will both become first year scholars this summer.

[KentExile]

30 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Have I misunderstood your inclusion of Eze and Higgins? They will both become first year scholars this summer.

I've included them in the "contracts expiring list" as Rovers have not yet announced the class of 2025 scholars list, so as things stand (officially speaking) they have not yet signed them up for next season.

I am not declaring that either of them have already left, or that they are leaving 🙂 

Edited May 6 by KentExile

[arbitro]

5 minutes ago, KentExile said:

I've included them in the "contracts expiring list" as Rovers have not yet announced the class of 2025 scholars list, so as things stand (officially speaking) they have not yet signed them up for next season.

I am not declaring that either of them have already left, or that they are leaving 🙂 

AhI thought I'd seen some announcement that they had committed (they have certainly been offered deals).

[KentExile]

8 minutes ago, arbitro said:

AhI thought I'd seen some announcement that they had committed (they have certainly been offered deals).

Not seen anything that they have accepted deals at this stage (I am sure they have both been offered contracts)

Hoping it will be a similar story to Tyjon last summer and they will announce it at they same time as they announce the rest of the first year scholars

Just hope we don't have to wait until July again!

Edited May 6 by KentExile

[MarkBRFC]

Can't imagine Higgins will stay if the reported interest in him is true.

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Can't imagine Higgins will stay if the reported interest in him is true.

Higgins/Arsenal is a similar story with Tyjon/Man Utd last summer, with the main difference being Higgins is a local lad & Rovers fan, who has been with us a few years.   Tyjon had only signed with us a year previously from Rochdale so didn't "owe us" anything

But then again, Finneran had been with us since he was 8,  so it could go either way

Edited May 6 by KentExile

[arbitro]

After an injury hit season Sam Barnes has been released by Barrow. Hopefully he can get fixed up somewhere and stay injury free to fulfil the potential he showed at Rovers.

[KentExile]

20 minutes ago, arbitro said:

After an injury hit season Sam Barnes has been released by Barrow. Hopefully he can get fixed up somewhere and stay injury free to fulfil the potential he showed at Rovers.

Real shame for him, wasn't even fit enough for the bench until late February, (think he still had the injury he had at Rovers when he signed for them, and then had a new issue when he was meant to make his comeback before Christmas) and in the end only made 4 sub appearances this season.

As you say, hopefully he gets sorted with a club and manages to kick start his career

Some  quotes from the Barrow forum of him below

"Wonder if Sam Barnes has been asked back for a trail pre season Andy Whing spoke warmly of him the other day"

"Only players I'm surprised with is Barnes (thought he played well after coming back in to the squad and had a good game against colchester) and Vassell thought he would be kept but maybe he's off higher, apart from that looks like a full rebuild in the works."

"Looks like we have cut ties with Barnes, he will probably go on to play a couple of seasons relatively injury free somewhere and boy does he deserve that bit of luck, but that’s the gamble and lessons will have been learned going forward."

"The club obviously think Barnes isn’t going to achieve the level of fitness to be worth his wage , at the end of the day we aren’t a charity and have lost enough money on players like that over the recent years. Despite that I hope he proves us all wrong."

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 14:58 by KentExile

[Tom]

Worrying for the lad, from being here, his home town team to those injuries then being released and picked up by Barrow and injured and released again 

He’ll do well to get a football league contract but feel he needs a solid season staying fit to prove himself, could see him in the Scottish lower leagues maybe 

[KentExile]

George Pratt has signed a new contract until 2026 with a years option

Wonder if he is is the left footed centre back that Gestede wanted, given that does not qualify for the U21s next season

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/09/pratt-pens-new-deal/

 

 

Edited Friday at 13:19 by KentExile

[MarkBRFC]

Be on loan in the National League by September I imagine.

[KentExile]

3 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Be on loan in the National League by September I imagine.

Probably the case, basically says as much in the interview

"“Hopefully I can be in and around the first team here, but if not I’d be keen to go out on loan and play some men’s football and improve myself further."

[arbitro]

I watched the first let of Partick against Ayr in midweek and Ayr brought a substitute on called Ethan Walker. He looked familiar so I googled his name and sure enough it was the lad we took from Preston in similar circumstances to Dolan. I saw him play several times for the under 21's and never thought he was good enough for the Championship.

It's good to see him playing at a decent level.

[KentExile]

35 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I watched the first let of Partick against Ayr in midweek and Ayr brought a substitute on called Ethan Walker. He looked familiar so I googled his name and sure enough it was the lad we took from Preston in similar circumstances to Dolan. I saw him play several times for the under 21's and never thought he was good enough for the Championship.

It's good to see him playing at a decent level.

He has been there all season, mainly as a sub option, having signed for them straight from his release from Rovers (from memory, it was a contract arranged ahead of time whilst technically still under contract at Rovers)

Ayr lost the 2nd leg last night (losing the tie on aggregate)  so are not going to be in the top tier next season, but he still has another year left on his contract with them so may possibly play a bigger part next season?

Looks like he developed the useful knack of scoring off the bench late in the season.  As you say, not the level we need, but good luck to him

Edited Saturday at 07:33 by KentExile

[KentExile]

 

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/10/harley-signs-new-deal/

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/11/powell-pens-new-deal/

Edited yesterday at 14:10 by KentExile

[KentExile]

 

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/12/matty-signs-new-deal/

[TugaysMarlboro]

"as the fans requested, we have extended players contracts"

[KentExile]

1 hour ago, TugaysMarlboro said:

"as the fans requested, we have extended players contracts"

And we should all be grateful to our abusers benevolent overlords  😉 

Edited 3 hours ago by KentExile

[Parsonblue]

Really pleased to see Litherland and Powell, in particular, sign extend contracts with the club.  Two lads who have made huge progress this season and hopefully, will be part of the senior squad next season.  It can only be good news that the best of our youngsters are given the time to develop with the club.

 

 

 

 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 hours ago, KentExile said:

 

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/12/matty-signs-new-deal/

I wonder if that’s a real “ Rolex “ he’s wearing ?

[KentExile]

14 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I wonder if that’s a real “ Rolex “ he’s wearing ?

I was trying to work out of it was the same watch as the one he was wearing a year ago when he signed his first pro deal, or if he had a collection

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8-BN8otLqt/?img_index=1

 

Edited 2 hours ago by KentExile