“Brilliant Rob Atkinson!” was the shout from the Bristol City dugout at the High Performance Centre as the Robins defender rose well to head clear in the second half for the under-21s during their 4-1 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League Cup.
The 24-year-old hasn’t featured for the first team since the 3-1 League Cup defeat to Lincoln City on November 8 as he returned from an illness that saw him withdraw from the squad at the 11th hour against Swansea City.
After Saturday’s game, Nigel Pearson explained that the defender has fallen down the pecking order and he believed Andy King to be a more reliable defender, saying Atkinson would have to work hard and be more enthusiastic to return to the squad.
