Following a string of impressive pre-season performances, midfielder Teo Kurturan has caught the eye of coach Andy Mangan, with a decision on his future at the club imminent according to Daniel Hargraves of Bristol Live.
This comes after yet another standout performance for the Gas in their 2-0 win over Championship side Swansea City in pre-season. That was the League One side’s penultimate pre-season matchup, so a decision on the midfielder’s future will come very soon, with the League One season starting in less than two weeks.
Kurturan would provide the assist for John Marquis’ goal which would put the Gasheads 2-0 up, ensuring victory at the Swansea.com Stadium. Rovers will host National League favourites Chesterfield in their final pre-season match, one in which could determine Kurturan’s future with the club. This would be a big move for the 21-year-old, who has no previous EFL experience to his name, and was very much unheard of before joining up with Rovers at the start of pre-season.
Who is Teo Kurturan?
You wouldn’t have been expected to have heard of the 21-year-old given his experience in senior football comes only from playing abroad as well as the lower steps of the Non-League pyramid. The midfielder spent the first half of last season with Polish second division side Hutnik Warszawa but would leave midway through the 2022/23 season. Kurturan would return to England and finish the season with Isthmian League outfit Walton & Hersham before joining Bristol Rovers in pre-season. The majority of his experience comes in and around the Isthmian League having also appeared for Chipstead and Kingstonian. Although the youngster has played nowhere near an EFL level, he has been excellent for Rovers in pre-season and has really put forward a case for a professional contract at the club.
What’s been said?
Speaking on the youngster’s future with the club following their victory over Swansea, coach Andy Mangan said:
“That’s something we’ll have to discuss as a coaching staff but Toto’s (Teo) done really, really well. Great kid, diamond, what an attitude.
“It’s quite an experienced changing room this. There’s an awful lot of good relationships, we’ve been together for a long time but he’s added quality. So that’s something that we’ll have to discuss as a staff and as a club moving forward but you know the kid can be very proud. It was a wonderful ball for John’s goal.
“When you come in as a trialist, you have to show a little bit of personality and a little bit of quality and he’s actually shown both. That is something that we’re going to have to discuss.”
Writer’s view
This is a real feel-good story and I’d love to see Kurturan sign a contract with the Gas. Although I do think he’d be signed to be loaned out to the National League South or National League, he is far from the finished product and could become a useful asset to Rovers in the future. With less than two weeks till their season-opener away at Portsmouth, I’d expect a decision on the youngster’s future to be made before then and hopefully it’ll be one which benefits his young career.
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