It may look like a rapid rise for James Belshaw, a goalkeeper who made his EFL debut aged 29 and in the space of three years has earned a promotion and hero status with Bristol Rovers, but the reality is years of hard graft in "the depths".
The 32-year-old returned to England in 2013 after three years at Duke University in North Carolina, spending time with Nuneaton Borough and Tamworth before a long spell at Harrogate Town, where he won promotion from the National League North and the National League – with an FA Trophy win at Wembley to boot – to realise his dreams of playing in the Football League.
Almost 18 months on from his departure from Wetherby Road, manager Simon Weaver's decision to let him leave is all the more mystifying – not that Rovers care one iota. Belshaw has been a revelation for Joey Barton's Gas, deservedly winning the player of the year award after a stellar debut campaign in BS7 in which he was a pivotal piece in the promotion puzzle.
