Everton youngster joins Bristol Rovers after Sheffield Wednesday, Reading and Fleetwood spells

Bristol Rovers have continued their summer transfer business by welcoming Everton defender Lewis Gibson to the club.

Gibson is the sixth signing of the summer transfer window and joins the Gas on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old joins having been in the academy of both Everton and Newcastle United and is predominantly a centre-back, which is a position that has needed recruiting over the course of the summer.

He reunites with Joey Barton at their second club having joined him at Fleetwood Town on loan, signing off the back of an appearance where he captained Everton against him.

As he was signed before mid-day on Friday, he is eligible to make his debut in tomorrow’s League One home fixture against Oxford United at a near-sold out Memorial Stadium.

Barton said: “He is somebody who I have had in the past at Fleetwood. He played nine games for us but he was exceptional. It was tough to hold on to him because he had Championship interest the next season.

“He is a player I have monitored over the years, to get the opportunity to bring him here, I think he is a fantastic player. He will be a really good addition to the group.”

At his parent club, he has been an unused substitute once whilst he also featured heavily for their Under-23’s team, captaining them on four occasions, playing mainly in the Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy.

Gibson made 11 appearances under Barton during their time together in Lancashire, including the League One play-offs back in the truncated 2019/20 season.

A bid had been made to try and bring him back for a second spell but Championship side Reading came in for him on the back of impressing at Fleetwood.

He turned out 13 times in total for Reading, firstly waiting for his chance off of the bench before a few spells in-and-out of the side.

A move to Sheffield Wednesday then followed but play time was limited, having been made to wait until mid October for his debut.

Appearances under Darren Moore came at a premium, mainly owing to injury which saw him out for long-spells, though he was an unused substitute towards the back end of last season.

Gibson was seemingly out of contract at Goodison Park this summer but penned a new deal with the Merseyside club which has allowed him to leave on loan.