Robbie Gotts made the somewhat surprising decision to swap League One side Lincoln City, where he was seemingly performing well and getting a decent amount of game time – to join Salford City, notoriously owned by six members of Manchester United’s class of ’92. However, the move has clearly worked for the Leeds United talent.
Gotts, 21, decided to end his pursuit for first-team game time at Leeds – at least for the 2020-21 campaign – by leaving Elland Road on loan last summer to join Lincoln. He made 12 appearances for the third-tier side, scoring his first professional goal while also laying on two assists. He seemed to be performing to a decent standard.
But clearly, Gotts – who has three senior appearances to his name under Marcelo Bielsa – wanted more game time. It has seen him drop a division to join playoff-chasing Salford and he has made a near-perfect start. Starting all four League Two games he has been available for, Gotts has found the back of the net on two occasions. His first came during a 2-2 draw with Harrogate Town – a club close to Leeds, geographically.
He took his tally for Salford to two goals in just four appearances, netting in Tuesday night’s 4-1 win over Cambridge United. Not only did he find the back of the net, but his performance was good enough to earn a place in the League Two team of the week – alongside three other Salford players and manager Richie Wellens, who replaced Graham Alexander earlier this term.
It is a long way from breaking into the first team at Leeds, though. Indeed, Gotts has seen Jamie Shackleton – a player considered above him in the pecking order – feed off scraps as Bielsa uses the likes of Rodrigo, Mateusz Klich, Stuart Dallas, Kalvin Phillips and Pablo Hernandez in central midfield. Gotts might not be even the bets performing midfielder out on loan.
Northern Irish midfielder Alfie McCalmont is doing well for Oldham Athletic in the same division – finding the back of the net five times in 20 appearances despite being previously considered a holding midfielder. Mateusz Bogusz is on loan at second-tier Spanish side Logrones – a quality much higher than England’s fourth division – and he is a regular, making 16 appearances.
Nevertheless, Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw reacted to Gotts being included in the League Two TOTW – with Phillips posting a four-word verdict.
