Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton has now been full of praise for Chelsea loanee Harvey Vale.
The Englishman told the club’s official YouTube channel that he is backing the 20-year-old for big things in his career due to his attitude and desire.
Vale has certainly enjoyed an interesting loan spell in League One this season, with him experimenting in a number of different positions.
A lot of his appearances have been in the unfamiliar role of left-back, although he has received plenty of praise for his performances there.
Despite not starting in Rovers’ draw last night, Barton was full of praise for his display.
Barton praises Vale
He said: “Brilliant. He was unfortunate not to be in the Starting XI. Literally only took him out to freshen him up because he’s done a load of work for us at left-back. I said to him he’s shown a phenomenal attitude, he’s been a real credit to Chelsea.
“I couldn’t speak any higher of him. He’s going to go on to have a fantastic career in the game. We knew he played further up the food-chain than left-back, but he had to do a shift for the team.
“You look at the start of the second half – Harvey’s desire almost got us back into the game straight away. Really pleased with him.
“For a young player to drop into League One and show that versatility, you’ve got to earn the trust of your teammates, supporters, and coaches. When I look at him in terms of ticking every box to develop his career, he’s shown enormous desire. If I had to place a wager on someone fulfilling their potential based on their attitude, Harvey Vale would sit right up there.”
With Vale already having a handful of minutes and appearances under his belt at Stamford Bridge, it will perhaps not be long until he is pushing to break into the Chelsea squad for the upcoming seasons.
