One of Joey Barton’s major missions last summer, beyond completely restructuring and improving the quality of the Bristol Rovers squad after relegation from League One, was raising standards of professionalism at the club, particularly in the dressing room.
Barton’s revelations towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign of widespread snus use caused a stir given its unique nature but it also spoke of a wider problem, a lackadaisical attitude, whereby certain individuals - who have since left north Bristol - weren’t behaving of an attitude befitting of a successful club.
A manager can only do so much in addressing this, setting rules and behaviours, but the best device for doing so is by implanting players with a certain mentality in the dressing room to affect culture through how they operate.
Paul Coutts has been one, named captain for good reason, another has been Glenn Whelan. And while the former Stoke City midfielder has experienced modest game time - 18 starts, with his last against Newport County on March 5 - his impact has been felt at The Quarters as much as it has on the field of play.
Speaking to the42.ie, Rovers coach Kevin Bond has given an insight into the 38-year-old's influence at the club and what he brings, enabling the likes of Connor Taylor - who’s previously declared him one his childhood heroes - Luca Hoole, Aaron Collins, Antony Evans and others to learn from.
“He is without doubt one of the best professionals that I’ve ever come across,” Bond said, having spent 10 years working alongside Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham and QPR in the Premier League. “He is first on the training ground and the last one to leave. He sets standards. He does everything.
“You would think he’s trying to make his way in the game because he trains like it’s his last day in football every day. There could be a bit of frustration there at the moment because he’s not starting and we have a settled side.”
Whelan is taking his coaching badges and with a football IQ and drive as high as his, that side of the game looks a natural path as he experiences the tail end of a career that has reached more than 700 professional appearances for club and country.
He is out of contract at the end of the season with decisions of a number of individuals up in the air until the Gas know which league they’ll be playing in next season as the climax to the League Two season approaches.
There will be understandable theories that Whelan could end up joining Barton’s coaching set-up, alongside Bond, Andy Mangan and Tony Warner, but given how he looks after himself physically, and what he can still give on the field, provided his minutes are managed correctly, there’s no reason he can’t play into his next decade.
“I speak to Glenn about this, while you’re as fit as him and free of injury, still enjoying the game and as capable as he absolutely is, play for as long as you possibly can,” Bond added.
“He can play past 40, he could go and play for another four or five years the way he carries himself. I am sure that he will go into coaching at some stage, you can see that side to him, but however much he enjoys coaching it won’t come close to being able to play.
“Avoiding serious injury is very important, of course you need that luck throughout your career. But the professionalism he has had throughout his career is paying him back now.
“You are seeing the benefit of it now when he is still fit and doing things properly you realise it’s not just down to luck that he is still able to go on. In terms of taking care of himself, the work he has done is the reason why he is still as fit and as strong as he is.”
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