Luca Hoole was a breakout star of Bristol Rovers' promotion-winning team last season, making the leap from academy to first-team to nail down the right-back spot.
But Joey Barton sees Hoole's full potential being realised elsewhere on the pitch. The 20-year-old played 90 minutes at centre-back and kept a clean sheet in Rovers' final pre-season friendly against Stoke City on Tuesday, forming an impressive partnership with fellow Wales under-21 international James Connolly.
Rovers appear to have a place up for grabs in the heart of defence with Connor Taylor returning to parent club Stoke at the end of last season and, although Barton is keen for him to return on loan again, the Potters are yet to decide where his immediate future lies.
The manager is eager to recruit in that area, but Hoole is one option to take that spot and Barton believes he will naturally transition inside from full-back in due course. The signing of James Gibbons from Port Vale could enable that sooner, with the 24-year-old impressing at right-back against Stoke, linking well with Harry Anderson and putting in the cross for Aden Flint's own goal.
"In pre-season, the main focus for us has been defensive structure and defensive shape and we’re progressing through that," Barton said. "We’re starting to get some of the bedrocks we will use going forward. Obviously, Hooley is playing at right-hand centre-half as opposed to right-back.
"I do think it’s his long-term position. If it’s this season, I’m not sure, but I think he will ultimately become a really good centre-back. Whether we use him as a centre-back in a three or a four, I’m not sure yet, but he’s got better through each game.
"There were a couple of challenges he made tonight and he’s showing how quick he can retain information. He’s learning all the time and you forget how young they are, two 20-year-old centre-backs."
After impressing in pre-season a year ago, Hoole earned a place in Barton's senior squad and he would become a regular in the starting XI, playing 32 times in all competitions, scoring once.
Hoole earned his first Wales under-21 cap as a result of his form in the blue and white quarters, debuting in the 2-0 win over Gibraltar last month.
With the manager indicating he wants as many as seven new signings by the end of trading on September 1 – although the majority of those are likely to be in attack – he insists neither his first-choice defence is not cemented, nor is Hoole's change of positions.
"We’re not absolutely nailed in on that, but Gibbo, we want to get him in his natural position. He’s played left-back, he’s played for Port Vale as a right-sided centre-back in a three.
"We know he’s versatile but we want to put him in his natural position. We want to shift Hooley out of it because he’s got 40-odd games playing right-back and we want to give him a little bit of experience in what I think will be his long-term position and it allows us to get Gibbo in his position and we can relationship build.
"Plus, if Hooley is playing centre-half it allows me to teach him the defensive responsibilities that maybe you don’t always learn at full-back.
"They’ve been great, the two of them, Beefy and him. You’re asking two young lads to run a line and police a backline and every day is a school day. They are getting it right sometimes; tonight was really good but it’s a work in progress.
"I love it. Empty vessels, you get to teach them the game, so it’s really exciting times, but we’ve got a lot of work to do."
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