So the saying goes, "if the fans of the club whose player you signed are angry then it must be a good sign you’ve taken a good player". Port Vale supporters are perhaps too gracious to be angry but there was evident frustration that James Gibbons, whose been with the club since he was 11, has swapped Vale Park for the Mem.
The versatile defender was confirmed as Bristol Rovers' second summer signing this week, just over 24 hours after Jordan Rossiter was added to the Gas squad for 2022/23, with more names expected to follow in the coming days and weeks.
Like Rossiter, on the face of it, Gibbons addresses a specific position of need for Joey Barton given Rovers played all of last season with only one specialist right-back in the form of academy graduate Luca Hoole.
Simply bringing in another right-sided defender was a must, even with Harry Anderson's Swiss Army knife-like qualities, but Gibbons seems a full-back and then some; capable of also operating as a wing-back on both sides of the pitch.
But, in truth, not too many (Bristol Live included) of a blue and white persuasion would have known too much about Gibbons as he was filmed walking around The Quarters with pre-season less than a week away.
To try and fill in some of the blanks regarding Rovers' newest player, we spoke to Stoke-on-Trent Live's Port Vale reporter Michael Baggaley for his view on the 24-year-old...
Does this transfer come as a surprise to you and how are the club likely to receive the news?
Yes, I am a bit surprised although the prospect of him moving on was growing the longer he went without agreeing terms. The club will be disappointed, I know they were hopeful of hanging on to him. That said, they have wished him all the best – quite right too because he has been an excellent servant.
How important was he to Vale last season?
Vale generally looked a better side with him in it. He’s had a couple of hamstring injuries over the last two years and then suffered a freak ankle ligament injury at the start of March. But he returned in time for the play-offs and was an important member of the side that clinched promotion.
Can you outline what sort of a defender he is in terms of playing style and positioning?
He broke into the team as a right back but played at right-wing back this past season as Darrell Clarke went with a 3-5-2 for most of the promotion campaign. At the end of the season he showed his versatility by playing on the right of the back three.
What are his biggest strengths and his most glaring weaknesses?
His strengths are the intensity and controlled aggression he brings to every game. His efforts generally lift the team and the crowd. But he’s more than just a tenacious tackler, he’s got plenty of quality and can deliver a great ball into the box from wide right.
He hasn’t got a glaring weakness. He hasn’t been tested at League One level but I’ve no doubt he will make that step up. He's also missed games through injury over the last couple of years so will want a full season to show what he can do.
What's he like as a character and personality?
Great attitude. I don’t remember him ever playing at less than 100 per cent in any of his 138 Vale games since breaking into the team five years ago. He’s become a fans’ favourite at Vale – and not just because he’s a local lad. I’d be very surprised if the Rovers supporters don’t take to him.
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