In his first summer in charge of Bristol Rovers, there were a lot of players Joey Barton wanted to leave as he cleaned the decks for a rebuild that culminated in an immediate return to League One.
Brandon Hanlan was a slightly different case and as time went on and the transfer deadline neared, the Gas manager became increasingly reluctant to see him leave. Barton seemed open-minded to a departure at one stage, but a look at the striker market left him with second thoughts.
In the end, Barton said he was "desperate" to keep the player, who scored nine goals in his one full season with Rovers in 2020/21, amid interest from Lincoln City and Wycombe Wanderers. In a press conference at Exeter City that became famous for the manager's declaration that Rovers would be promoted without any doubt, hidden in his quotes was a plea for Hanlan to stay.
"I’m desperate to keep him because I told you when I first came in, I think he’s a legitimate 20-goal-a-season striker," Barton said, repeating a statement he made after his first game in charge of the Gas in February 2021.
Ultimately, Rovers were resigned to letting Hanlan leave and that 4-1 defeat at St James Park was his final game. His scoring record in BS7 was solid if unspectacular and a sale to Wycombe, recouping the £150,000 fee Rovers paid Gillingham to sign the forward a year earlier after a tribunal, made business sense for a club that had dropped into League Two, particularly with add-on clauses included in the deal.
Initially, Rovers did miss Hanlan's pace and power. A striking department of Aaron Collins, Brett Pitman, Harvey Saunders and Leon Clarke was hit by injuries and a shortage of confidence and form.
But it worked out just fine for Barton in the end as Collins came good by the turn of the year and he hasn't looked back since, becoming one of the best players in League One. The January loan signing of Elliot Anderson, too, went a long way to addressing Rovers' attacking problems.
And the reality is Hanlan has not made Rovers regret letting him leave. He registered eight goals and six assists in his first season at Adams Park, but much like with the Gas, his returns tailed off in the second half of the season.
Of course, his game is not just about hitting the back of the net. He is an excellent athlete that works hard for the team but in the currency of goals, Barton does not lament his departure, particularly with the arsenal of attacking weapons he has built this season in mind.
Hanlan must feel the same. Sure, he missed out on being part of an epic promotion story, but Wycombe had a fine season of their own in making it to the League One play-off final at Wembley. Sitting seventh in the table this season, just one place outside the play-offs and two spots clear of the Gas, Gareth Ainsworth's side are well placed to contend again.
Fittingly, though, the 25-year-old has made a return to form just in time for a reunion with his old club. He scored the winner – a brilliant solo effort – for the Chairboys in Saturday's victory over promotion contenders Ipswich Town.
That was Hanlan's first goal since February. An 11-game absence through injury earlier this season makes that drought sound worse than it was, but it shows the former Charlton Athletic prospect is similar in nature to the player he was for the Gas.
He is not a natural scorer, but he is very talented, possessing all the raw materials a striker requires at this level. When he pieces it all together, in moments he can be unplayable.
“I hadn’t scored for so long that I didn’t know how to celebrate," he admitted to the Bucks Free Press after breaking his duck for the season on Saturday. "But once you start scoring, it’s natural.
“I went into the right-hand side of the box, I turned and started driving into the box and went past two defenders. With the ball at your feet in the box you’ve got more time than you think.
“As I was dribbling, space opened up for me and I managed to shift the defenders with a bit of movement and slotted the ball in at the near post. The keeper showed me the near post and I went for it. But as you’re running in, things are happening so fast."
Rovers will be fully aware of the threats Hanlan and Wycombe will pose when they meet at Adams Park on Boxing Day. Both sides will be eager to show they got the better side of the deal, but in truth it has worked out just fine for everyone.
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