Official: Bristol Rovers sign Harvey Vale on loan from Chelsea

There was a lot of hype around young Harvey Vale this time last season, but after a disappointing season consisting of a failed loan at Hull City and then coming back to play with the U23s, those expectations have been tempered a bit.

There’s of course still an excellent player here, as we saw the U20 World Cup earlier this summer, where he captained England to a knockout round appearance (before they lost to eventual runners-up, Cesare Casadei’s Italy). And he’s still just 19, so any definitive assessment of his future is unlikely to be correct.

But he does need a better year ahead, and hopefully he will find that Bristol Rovers, whom he joined on a season-long loan today (without any additional clauses or options).

Rovers have been bouncing around the third and fourth divisions in the last couple decades. They finished 17th in League One last season. Joey Barton, of all people, is their head coach. Former Chelsea youngsters Josh Grant and Luke McCormick (both 24) also ply their trade there currently.

Good luck, lads!