It is not unusual for loan players to fill big roles in Joey Barton's Bristol Rovers, but the Gas manager is convinced of the "enormous potential" of the latest pair to shine in the blue and white quarters.
January signings Jarell Quansah and Lamare Bogarde, highly rated prospects at Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively, endured a chastening introduction to life with Rovers, joining a team out of form and low on confidence, but they have impressed in the face of adversity.
Centre-back Quansah, aged 20, has caught the eye in the heart of an improving defence that has kept three clean sheets in the past four games, while 19-year-old Dutchman Bogarde has shown he can handle himself in the midfield battle with a blend of elegance and steel.
For Quansah – who had to wait six games for his first victory in senior football – the challenge at Rovers has been particularly tough. He debuted in a disastrous 5-1 defeat at Morecambe, yet somehow managed to acquit himself well amid chaos unfolding around him, and aside from giving away a penalty in the defeat to MK Dons last month, the only real criticism of his game is the lack of goals given the chances that have come his way in the opposition penalty area, particularly in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Barnsley at the Mem.
Barton believes the scoring touch will come, but he is delighted to have the England youth international in his team regardless.
"You know his quality," Barton said. If you’re training with Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk, you’re in that elite environment, via osmosis you are going to get better.
"They think a lot of him, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, and they tend to be a good judge of a player and a good judge of character, so we are really thankful that they have trusted us with his development.
"Since he came in, his debut was the Morecambe game and even in that game he showed really flashes of his quality and I think everybody who has watched five or six games of Jarell have realised what a good player he is.
"I do think having Lewis Gibson on the inside of you and James Belshaw behind you is a nice lot of communication and experience to have around you, but regardless of who he has played with or behind, his performances have been such a high level.
"He is definitely a top player in the making and we are really pleased to have him at the football club."
Bogarde, who arrived within minutes of the January transfer deadline, has started the past four games for the Gas, playing slightly different midfield roles. In the win at Oxford United in late February, he was tasked with getting from box to box and he won the crucial penalty to take the lead en route to ending a seven-game winless run.
He backed that up with a more defensively-focused showing against Barnsley on Saturday, stoking roars from the terraces with some meaty challenges as well as moving the ball crisply and efficiently.
"He’s quality, isn’t he?" Barton said after Saturday's stalemate with Barnsley. "You can see his composure and he is young in terms of years on the clock, but he is very mature and he passes the ball correctly.
"The one thing that is labelled at this technical, certainly foreign player us they don’t dig in and have a bite. For me, if you watch Lamare he does a bit of everything.
"He is another young player, but another with enormous potential."
SIGN UP: To receive our free Rovers newsletter, bringing you the latest from the Mem
READ NEXT:
