Josh Coburn's time at Bristol Rovers is playing out exactly as Middlesbrough hoped when they sanctioned the deal in the summer.

Playing, scoring, learning.

The young striker's arrival at the Memorial Stadium was delayed by a knee injury at the start of the season but the 19-year-old is making up for lost time.

He has four goals and an assist in just seven League One appearances, three of which were from the bench, and his Gas importance is growing by the week.

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Indeed, in what is yet another huge show of faith in Boro's young striker, Joey Barton this week claimed that the best two strikers in League One will be on show when Bristol Rovers host Peterborough this afternoon - and he wasn't talking about the league's top scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Instead, Barton was referring to Aaron Collins and Coburn.

Barton said: "I think Josh Coburn’s as good as anyone you’ll see at 19 and he’s going to have a big future in the game, that kid.

"Obviously, Clarke-Harris is the top goalscorer and you’ve got the old established man, and you’ve got Azza, the new kid on the block, and a young whippersnapper in Coburn, who is as good as anyone with seven games and four goals. He’s 19 playing in League One against men; I think the kid is going to have a big future."

Those big future claims are echoed by staff at Boro - which is why so much thought went into this season's loan move. As much as he could have played a part for Boro this season, at 19, a season playing regularly would be more beneficial.

There was inevitably a lot of interest in the striker, who scored five goals for Boro last season, including that FA Cup matchwinner against Tottenham. But it had to be the right move, the right club. 

Bristol Rovers ticked all the boxes. The development of Newcastle's Elliot Anderson in his spell at the Memorial Stadium last season impressed Boro, and when Barton had the chance to speak to Coburn on Zoom he not only listed to the striker the number of young loan players he's previously worked with but also how many of those players joined him in their first loan spell.

Coburn knew he needed to be playing. And Barton has been true to his word. 

Last week, first team coach Andy Mangan, on press duties after Barton was sent off, joined the manager in praising Coburn.

He said: "He is still learning the game, he has come in and has contributed straight away. He is a fantastic kid, always wanting to learn, learn the dark arts of football. He will go on to have a fantastic career."

Given the above praise, it goes without saying that Bristol Rovers will be desperate to hold on to Coburn in January, when Boro have a recall clause.

But everything both Barton and Boro head coach Michael Carrick have said on the matter suggests Coburn will be staying put.

“That’s the ideal scenario for him, going out on loan and getting great experience," said Carrick in the first week of his tenure.

"That’s what the aim of going out on loan and getting that experience - playing games when it really matters and there’s something on the line, and being able to cope with that."

Barton, meanwhile, is positive.

Last week he said: "From our perspective, we had a couple of good conversations with the guys at Middlesbrough and barring a bad run of injuries or whatever, it looks like we will be able to keep hold of him for the season.

"We had a couple of conversations at chief scout and board level about their plans for January and once we started the conversation, in the midst of that they won a couple of games, so they are bit clearer on their picture and they think it’s for the best. ‘No, no, that’s why we sent him to you, we think he needs a season on loan, we think it will benefit his development for us later on if he gets a full season’.

"That could change in January, because they could get some bad luck, but we’re hoping Josh is with us for the season. I think the boy wants to be here, the powers that be at Middlesbrough want him to be here, the only thing that is stopping him is probably a bit of bad luck or picking up a serious injury himself, so fingers crossed he is here for the year."

The way things are going, everyone's a winner: Boro, Bristol Rovers and of course Coburn.

Whenever he does return to Teesside, he'll a better more experienced player and ready to kick on again.

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