The 20-year-old is reportedly on Barnsley’s radar as his Blackburn Rovers deal ticks down?
Well that didn’t take long. With the ink still yet to dry on Owen Coyle’s freshly-printed P45, Blackburn Rovers welcomed Tony Mowbray to take a hearty swig from the poison chalice, as reported by the BBC.
However, while the 53-year-old was hired to retain Blackburn’s Championship status, the club will also be hoping he helps achieve another of their objectives – keep 20-year-old winger Connor Mahoney at Ewood Park.
The Lancashire Telegraph reported that the second tier strugglers are desperate for the club’s third youngest ever debutant to commit his future to Rovers with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Particularly with league rivals Barnsley eyeing up a summer swoop for little more than a compensation fee, The Sun report.
However, as proven by Mowbray’s spell at the helm of Middlesbrough, he’s not a manager that will automatically trust the young talent at his disposal, farming the likes of Curtis Main and current Sheffield Wednesday star Adam Reach out on short-term loans.
The hugely talented Luke Williams never got his burgeoning career back on track after being shunted out of the first-team picture by Mowbray.
“They probably need to go out on loan and learn the game,” the former Boro boss told The Gazette at the time.
“Then they have to go back into the Under-21s and show me that they deserve to play. They train with the seniors most days but they have to show me they have the desire to play for the first team.”
However, Mowbray did help further the careers of Ben Gibson, Joe Bennett and Rhys Williams, pointing out that age is just a number. Mahoney, a rare bright spark in a dismal season, is clearly ready for regular action.
Nonetheless, Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom, admired for his ability to hone young talents, could prove a better long-term fit.
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