The summer months have passed and they went rather well for Bristol Rovers prospect Jerry Lawrence, who made his first start for the Gas in Tuesday's EFL Trophy draw at Plymouth Argyle.
The 17-year-old started pre-season as one of several under-18s players training with Joey Barton's squad, but the midfielder has done the most to advance his claim and the milestones have followed. He scored in the opening game of pre-season, travelled to Portugal for the training camp and did enough to remain with the first-team squad for the start of the League One campaign.
His progress has not gone unnoticed by Barton and his backroom team, who have noticed his confidence on the ball in training. "He’s got a lot of ability and he’s really impressed the coaching staff since he’s been in," first-team coach Andy Mangan said.
