Son of Man Utd, Real Madrid, and AC Milan star could face Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers could have potentially have one of their pre-season matches watched by a former England captain this summer.

The Gas’ full pre-season schedule has not yet been published but they have matches against Melksham Town, Eastleigh, Brentford B and Swansea City over the next month. Players are due to resume training next week in time for their match with Melksham Town on Friday, June 30.

One friendly however that is of intrigue is Brentford B. Some fans showed their displeasure at facing a side that will be made up of young players, rather then their senior team. Brentford B however provide a different test, and they can be regarded as one of the better academies in England.

The Bees won the Premier League Cup in the 2022/23 campaign, beating Aston Villa’s development team twice, as well as Arsenal, before clinching the trophy against Blackburn Rovers. Brentford’s academy structure is different to other Premier League clubs, and they only restarted their team back in 2022/23.

Next month’s clash with Brentford will provide several opportunities for Rovers. It is a chance to look at some of the West London clubs younger players, who could be available for loan, should Joey Barton deem them good enough. Rovers signed Lewis Gordon last summer, and the left-back had spent two-years with them, before cementing himself in to a first-team player.

Rovers could also have a former England captain in attendance to watch over his son. Romeo Beckham - son of Manchester United and Real Madrid legend David, joined Brentford permanently from Inter Miami, and would be likely to feature. Beckham Jr, 20, was at Arsenal's academy for a season, but was released after a year, but following a five-year hiatus from football, joined Fort Lauderdale in September 2021, which was a feeder club to Beckham's club Inter Miami.

Beckham Snr, who retired from football in 2013, had to jump a fence back in January 2023, when he attended a Brentford B match against Erith & Belvedere in which his son played in.

The clash is due to take place on Saturday, July 15 with venue, kick-off time and ticket details still yet to be confirmed. Current gaps in Rovers’ pre-season schedule is the week commencing Monday, July 17 to Sunday, July 23. Rovers do play Swansea on Tuesday, July 25, but could play a fixture on the weekend, should the ground works at the Memorial Stadium be completed.