Joey Barton believes Luca Hoole could one day captain Bristol Rovers after the young defender made an encouraging return to the side in their 4-1 Papa Johns Trophy win over MK Dons, including scoring his second goal for the club.
After his breakout campaign in 2021/22, in which the academy product made 32 appearances, predominantly at right-back as a regular in Rovers’ promotion-winning team, this campaign has presented new challenges for the Wales Under-21 international.
Long-term, Barton is confident the 20-year-old can specialise as a centre-back but that transition requires patience and understanding that his performance levels will dip. He started 12 of Rovers’ opening 15 games in league and cup at the beginning of the season but has since fallen down the defensive hierarchy, playing just 133 minutes over six appearances before Tuesday night.
