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.
He has suffered a slight crisis of confidence as a result, as his previous starts were against Plymouth Argyle and Derby County in mid to late October, in which he was substituted after 45 and 56 minutes, respectively. While in the 2-2 League One draw with Fleetwood Town on November 12, he was guilty of not closing down a cross that led to the visitor’s late equaliser.
Against an under-performing MK Dons side, low on confidence themselves and with a makeshift coaching staff in place, it represented the ideal scenario for Hoole to raise his levels back to what everyone at Rovers knows he’s capable of.
The opposition starting XI still contained individuals of the calibre of Will Grigg and Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry, so had undoubted quality in their ranks and Hoole was solid and structured in his defending, calm and efficient on the ball, wanting possession and using it sensibly, and headed the Gas into the lead when he converted Jordan Rossiter’s cross in the 33rd minute.
“Luca’s composure on the ball, he just looked more like himself,” Barton said. “A couple of times he stepped inside and it will help him playing right side of a back three because I think that’s going to be his long-term position.
“I think the goal will have helped him, he’s a young player, has played a lot of games and then had a tough time. He’s had a little bit of a dip in terms of his normal level of output and he’s lost his place in the team off the back of it.
“He’s someone we believe in long-term; I think he’s a huge prospect and potential captain for the club going forward but with young players there’s these moments and you have to keep grafting with them and work through it.
“He’s looked better on the training pitch in recent weeks and it’s nice for him to show against, and that’s probably not a million miles away from their strongest team, he does belong at the level and is a competent player for us. A good performance, and a goal, and a solid evening’s work for him and it’ll really help him.”
As noted by Barton, Hoole was one of several individuals who have been frustrated on the sidelines to not be involved regularly in league action who delivered a strong performance against the Dons; John Marquis scored twice, Luke McCormick was more like his lively self and James Gibbons slotted into a number of positions with great efficiency.
Rovers’ fourth goal of the night came via another individual of that nature as Harvey Saunders slammed home Luke McCormick’s deep cross with some panache, for his second goal in as many games in the Papa Johns Trophy.
With Marquis, top scorer Aaron Collins, Josh Coburn and Ryan Loft alongside him in the striking ranks, plus the signing of Scott Sinclair in a wider role, competition for places is intense and all the 25-year-old can keep doing is taking his opportunity.
What also slightly sets him aside from those names is that Saunders can cover multiple roles in the team, as evidenced in the closing stages against MK Dons when he was operating as an auxiliary left back.
“We’ve got some good players, certainly in his position and it must be frustrating for him but also, he’s not stupid, you also know sometimes when you’re in the team that people are just ahead of you at the moment," Barton added.
"In the front positions, you’ve got Coburn and Collins who have been scoring and involved in goals, Marquis has come in and thrown his cap in the ring, Lofty was going well before his injury and Harv can do no more. The good thing for Harv is that he can play multiple positions and even looked alright at left-back there!
“He’s just got to be patient and he can’t do anymore than score every time he gets an opportunity.”
SIGN UP: To receive our free Rovers newsletter, bringing you the latest from the Mem
