LUKE TROTMAN’S mid-season transfer into reality television has been given Alun Armstrong’s seal of approval, though the Darlington manager has made it clear he would not have permitted the surprise move had the 22-year-old not been injured.

While Quakers are riding high in the National League North – sixth, their highest position for three years – Trotman is in South Africa and starring in Love Island, an ITV show about young singletons looking for love.

However, the highly-rated 22-year-old has been unavailable to Quakers since August due to an Achilles injury sustained in the second match of the season.

The attack-minded right-back is not due to make a first-team return until March, has been making good progress in his recovery and Darlington say he has been given a rehab programme to stick to while away.

So they have given their blessing to him taking part in the popular television programme, which in the past has made celebrities of its contestants.

“He’s way ahead in his rehab of where we thought he would be, he’s been pushing ever so hard – you’ll see the condition he is in on TV,” said Armstrong.

“He’s a good honest lad, he’s never someone that is going to let himself go, for a semi-pro footballer he’s really professional about his football.

“He’s with us two or three days week and the other lads have a job but he’s doing a university degree, so to be given this opportunity, why not?

“If he was fit and playing we would’ve said no straight away. I think there’s a footballer on the show from Oxford City, he’s not injured, but I would’ve said no. No way would I let anyone go on it if they were fit.”

Trotman, studying a banking and finance degree at Loughborough University, is a popular figure among Darlington players and supporters. He missed only one match last season, his form led to him being called up to the England C team and was predicted to move into full-time football come the summer when his contract expires.

A move may yet materialise, but first he has a role to play on ITV2.

Armstrong added: “I knew it was coming but we couldn’t say a thing because if word had got out then they wouldn’t have put him in at all.

“He asked me a few months ago, way before Christmas, it might’ve been October time, and we had a good chat about it. We had to make sure everything was right within the club about it because he’s representing the club at the end of the day.

“But you’ve got to think of the lad in this situation. He was never going to be fit until March, he’s coming to the end of his university degree and he’s got to make money somehow – who is to say the lad is going to have a career in football after his injury? Nobody knows.

“I didn’t want to stand in his way. I could never see him on the programme, mind, I didn’t think he was that kind of person and I said that to him! He’s a really clever lad and one of the nicest people you could meet, so I was taken aback when he told me!

“I said ‘I couldn’t ever see you on there, Trots, not one little bit', and he was just laughing! Fair play to him.

“It’s a massive opportunity for him, some people go on there and really change their lives, so why not.”

Meanwhile, as far as football is concerned, Darlington are at fourth-placed Chester on Saturday and have injury worries to contend with as Louis Laing and Will Hatfield both have hamstring issues.

Terry Galbraith is making rapid progress after hurting an ankle last weekend, but Saturday’s game will probably come too soon.