Rovers sign new midfielder from Spain.....

[Gartom]

Rovers Raid the Hoddle Academy
Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll has acted to strengthen his midfield with the signing of promising 23 year old Ryan Burge from Jerez Industrial CF on a professional contract until June 2011 subject to international clearance. The Spanish club are part of the Glenn Hoddle Academy and play in the Spanish fourth tier. Ryan has had a varied start to his professional career before settling at Jerez. When he was starting his career at the age of 15, Ryan, was already rated very highly and was offered contracts by both Manchester United and Manchester City. In the same season he also won player of the tournament playing for Coventry City in a tournament in Holland and was attracting interest from the Ajax academy, where he later spent time.

[The Red Baron]

There's a pic of him here:

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/sport/news/Cheltenham-footballer-snapped-Hoddle/article-1344106-detail/article.html

[DonnyRTID]

Great news.

[The L J Monk]

The Red Baron wrote:

There's a pic of him here:

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/sport/news/Cheltenham-footballer-snapped-Hoddle/article-1344106-detail/article.html

And here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philminshull/2010/11/hoddle_restores_an_english_inf.html

[inSODwetrust]

And here.

http://www.glennhoddleacademy.com/images/burge_small_profile.jpg

[Snods Shinpad 2]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kip5h_UVqmw[/video]

[DearneValleyRover]

Six foot tall and 11st 8lbs a little bit more robust than what we have. Let's hope he's learned a lot from Hoddle because we need a player who can create space to get our passing game going again.

[inSODwetrust]

'Kin hell, he can shoot from more than 10yards out and he can tackle! We must be on to something good!

[Filo]

Snods Shinpad 2 wrote:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kip5h_UVqmw[/video]

From that video, he looks like he`s their playmaker, looks like he`s got a turn of pace, predominantly left footed, I don`t think his right foot touched the ball, one for Stock to nurture?

[VivaRovers]

He'll need to cut all that unecessary slow-motion stuff out of his game, or he's in for short shrift from the folk near me in the West Stand.

\"Stop moving at a reduced pace in order to better highlight your technical movement and gerrit for'ard Burge!\"

[Donnybob]

Dangerous to make assumptions from a 3 minute highlights clip but he reminded me of a certain youn Ian Snodin with the way he was always a yard faster to the ball, in the right place, great distribution and always ready for the return rather than a pass and switch off player.

Looks very young and up against a few lightweights but definitely promising.

Sincerely hope the crowd gives him time and that he does well.

[VivaRovers]

Donnybob wrote:

Dangerous to make assumptions from a 3 minute highlights clip but he reminded me of a certain youn Ian Snodin with the way he was always a yard faster to the ball, in the right place, great distribution and always ready for the return rather than a pass and switch off player.

Hahaha... inadvertantly Donnybob, you have just made my day.

[DearneValleyRover]

He can deliver a deadball by the look of that vid, another thing we lack. Very good signing hopefully.

[Sheepskin Stu]

This is another customary low risk gamble like the Keegan signing. I wonder if Sean would like to be called a \"wheeler dealer\" like his mate Harry?

[VikingJames]

I wonder if we'll see anything of this one, or whether he'll go the same way as Jack Wilson, Josh Payne etc.

[Sprotyrover]

What a surprise!we have signed a 'cultured' and 'refined' midfielder
 

[Colin C No.3]

Snods Shinpad 2 wrote:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kip5h_UVqmw[/video]

Reminds me of Rod Johnson.

[Viking Don]

Says we tried to get him before he went to the Hoddle academy so one Sean's had an eye on for a while. Just listened to Sean's interview (why the hell is there ALWAYS a mobile phone interfering with the sound?) and it sounds like he's here to fill the void left by Robbie Clarke and Josh Payne, so one for the future maybe? Have to say he sounds a step up from those two though, if we believe what we read...

[MiKA]

The \"professional contract until June 2011\" part worries me a little, we bring him over, he shines and then Derby or another flush side will come along and take him.

Being over 6\" i wonder what he's like in goal   B)  

[benaldo]

Hope his signing works out for us....for 6 months. What a daft contract! If he's any good (which he should be shouldn't he, seeing as we've signed him!), then why are we only having him for 6 months?? It's like us bringing him over here, showing him off, then letting him go for nothing.

Is this a terrible piece of business, or is it showing the power of the football agents in contract negotations?

[mutleyrover]

Or maybe covering us for if he does not turn out to make the grade.  We can always extend his contract if he looks like becoming a regular part of the first team.

[VikingJames]

benaldo wrote:

Hope his signing works out for us....for 6 months. What a daft contract! If he's any good (which he should be shouldn't he, seeing as we've signed him!), then why are we only having him for 6 months?? It's like us bringing him over here, showing him off, then letting him go for nothing.

Is this a terrible piece of business, or is it showing the power of the football agents in contract negotations?

Or is it that we've given him a short-term deal to have a closer look at him, and then if he's no good, we're not tied to anything long-term.

I think the deal makes perfect sense, because it gives us flexibility in terms of the role he'll play at the club. A short term deal will make him play for his future, so we'll get the best out of him (if he gets a game,) but if he's crap/doesn't fit in/doesn't have the right attitude, we're not going to be wasting huge amounts of money on a long-term deal for a player we don't want or need at the club.

[Snods Shinpad 2]

benaldo wrote:

Hope his signing works out for us....for 6 months. What a daft contract! If he's any good (which he should be shouldn't he, seeing as we've signed him!), then why are we only having him for 6 months?? It's like us bringing him over here, showing him off, then letting him go for nothing.

Is this a terrible piece of business, or is it showing the power of the football agents in contract negotations?

Makes perfect sense to me.

The alternative is sign him on a 1 or 2 year contract. Very brave that considering he's been playing in the Spanish fourth division and has one league appearance to his name. If he is any good, then a one year contract would give other clubs more time to look at him.

Six months isn't long for other clubs to scout him, and besides, I'm sure we'd offer to extend his contract if it became clear that he's worth keeping.

[benaldo]

I take all your points, but lots of well run, good, football clubs sign up youngsters on fairly long term deals. If its found out early on that they wont make the grade they are often farmed out on long term loans to cover the wages while a buyer is found. I just think that if someone at the club has taken the effort to go to spain to look at him and sign him, he must be something good, therefore worth signing up on a long term deal?

He looked pretty decent from the edited \"Hoddle-cam\". Didn't see any faith healers around though...

[Akinfenwa]

If he was 18 then fair enough but he isn't that young, he's 23 so not really a youngster anymore. He should be good enough now, if not then he probably never will be and should be released at the end of the season.

[DearneValleyRover]

Maybe we want to see if he can step up in class and if he does we can always offer a longer contract before the short term one runs out. As stated Spanish 4th Division to Championship is a big step.

[dknward2]

Even the spainish top flight is a step up to the championship

[BobG]

eally?

Not being sarky. I just don't know. Obviously the big clubs - Barelona, Real, Valencia few years back - would be fine in the Prem. But I don't know how the rest would do. What about Atletico for example? Osasuna? (Where is that anyway?!)

BobG

[dknward2]

Ok maybe rule out the big top 4/5 then you end up with a league no where near as good as the championship

[Herman Hessian]

Sprotyrover wrote:

What a surprise!we have signed a 'cultured' and 'refined' midfielder
 

to be fair, that's a tradition that dates back to the likes of mirsad bubalovic (rip), and it's served us well...