The Lincoln City manager Michael Appleton has delivered his verdict on Robbie Gotts’ debut on loan from Leeds United.
Gotts has had to bide his time since he joined the Imps last month.
But the 20-year-old was finally given his chance against Portsmouth on Tuesday, with City without several of their first-team regulars.
Though a midfielder by trade, Gotts lined up at right-back at Sincil Bank – where he faced a rumoured ex-Leeds target in Ronan Curtis.
And it was Curtis’s goal – which put Portsmouth 3-0 up – that appeared to signal the end of the Yorkshireman’s evening.
Asked about Gotts’ display afterwards, Appleton told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: “I thought Robbie did well in the first half. There’s no doubt about it, I thought he was good.
“I thought they targeted him in the second half a little bit, with the diagonal balls they were putting on him a little bit, that’s why we made the change. It got difficult for him in that second half.
“But he’s going to be fine for us. Obviously, he’s a midfielder as well as a full-back. He has got lots of energy and I’m sure we’ll see more and more of him and the better side of him going forward.”
Gotts had previously played at right-back for Leeds Under-23s, who also used him as a right-midfielder on occasion.
The Harrogate-born player made his debut for Marcelo Bielsa’s side against Arsenal at the start of the year and appeared twice more before his temporary move to Lincoln City.
Gotts’ Leeds teammates Bryce Hosannah and Jordan Stevens also featured for their respective loan clubs, Bradford City and Swindon Town, on Tuesday, although another one, Alfie McCalmont, remained on the bench for Oldham Athletic.
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