Drogheda United’s right-back James Brown set for trial with Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers are set to take a look at Drogheda United’s James Brown as he is set to go on trial at the Memorial Stadium over the next fortnight.

After the conclusion of the League of Ireland season, the 23-year-old is making the trip across the Irish Sea in the hope of securing a contract in professional football.

A report from Independent.i.e, a newspaper from Ireland, claims that Brown will train with both the Gas and Championship club Blackburn Rovers over the coming weeks.

There is competition however from Drogheda’s league rivals with St Patrick’s Athletic, Dundalk and Bohemians, who are also interested in his services.

If Rovers are impressed and like what they see from Brown, if a move were to take place then Brown’s current club would be due compensation, however that would be minimal, according to journalist Daniel McDonnell.

Brown was part of the Drogheda side which won promotion from the First Division to the League of Ireland and has been a loyal servant to the club.

He made 34 league appearances in the league last season as the club secured a seventh placed finish.

In total, the defender has made more than 114 appearances since his first-team debut in 2016, which shows he is capable of playing at a senior level.

Brown is one of four Drogheda players who are attracting interest from both England and Scotland. Centre-half Dan O’Reilly is wanted by Hamilton, whilst Motheewell want attacker Mark Doyle. Killan Phillips meanwhile has been training with Crystal Palace, so there are plenty of players on offer if Rovers want to consider a swoop.

The League of Ireland has been a good platform for young players to get a vital amount of first-team experience before testing themselves in England’s pyramid. One of the biggest success stories is Seamus Coleman, who began his career with Sligo Rovers before a move to Everton.

Coleman has gone on to make more than 300 appearances for the Toffees and has captained his country, making 63 appearances.

Tough-tackling midfielder Roy Keane also began his career at Cobh Ramblers, before moving to Nottingham Forest and later Manchester United, where he was a success.

There is also a recent success story in Gavin Bazunu, who at 16-years-old made his debut for Shamrock Rovers. Bazunu was signed up by Manchester City and has since had loan spells at both Rochdale and Portsmouth, whilst going on to make 10 appearances for the national team.

Rovers themselves may be in the market for a right-back given the injuries to the likes of Junior Brown and Trevor Clarke, who have been injured this season.

It has meant that defensive midfielder Josh Grant has had to adapt himself into a wing-back role in their absence.