Injury problems meant that right through the spine of the team the onus was on youth – until the availability of experienced duo John Bostock and Adam Clayton tipped the balance and coincided with an improvement towards the back end of the season.
Pontus Dahlberg (23) and Louis Jones (23) started the season competing for the goalkeeping berth, while Ro-Shaun Williams (23) and Joseph Olowu (22) had a baptism of fire in the heart of the defence.
Midfielders Ethan Galbraith (21) and Matt Smith (21) were thrown in at the deep end, before Rovers looked to Josh Martin (20) and Reo Griffiths (21) for attacking inspiration later in the season.
So, when it comes to average age, where do Rovers rank among their League One rivals?
Using data from FBref, we’ve taken a look at the average age of each team, in each case weighted by minutes played, and listed them in descending order.
Notably, the three oldest squads all finished in the top six, while three relegated sides were among the youngest in the division.
