'Seriously talented' - Expert insight into new Doncaster Rovers signing Isaac Hutchinson

Doncaster Rovers have completed their eighth summer signing with the purchase of midfielder Isaac Hutchinson. He joins for an undisclosed fee from Bristol Rovers but spent the vast majority of last season out on loan at Cheltenham, where he excelled.

Here, we get the lowdown from Jon Palmer, who covers the Robins for Gloucestershire Live and saw Hutchinson at close quarters last term.

Q: How good was Hutchinson last season? From the outside looking in, his stats suggest he was key to Cheltenham staying clear of danger?

JP: He goes down as arguably Cheltenham’s best ever loan signing. Previous boss Michael Flynn played a big part in bringing him in initially, at the end of the summer transfer window, having worked with him at Walsall. Steve Cotterill then took over and got the best out of him throughout the season. He scored consistently and the whole set-up of the team revolved around his ability to find the net from an advanced midfield role. He was Player of the Year by a country mile and was one of the key figures as Cotterill guided the team away from the threat of relegation, eventually finishing 18th.

Q: What kind of midfielder is he and what are his strengths?

JP: Cotterill was always keen to stress that he was playing as an ‘eight’ rather than a ‘10’ because he still had some defensive duties in the centre of midfield alongside Luke Young, with Ben Stevenson sitting deeper. But Hutchinson was certainly given licence to support the centre-forward in Cheltenham’s 4-3-3 formation. He is an intelligent player who can find space and finish from anywhere in and around the penalty area with accuracy and composure.

He has a good physical presence and typically covered more ground than any other player for Cheltenham. He scored with a header in an FA Cup win over Bradford City, but that is an area of his game he wants to improve because, for his height, he doesn’t score many. His 18 goals for Cheltenham, along with two for Bristol Rovers, saw him finish the season with 20, which was a superb return considering how difficult the Robins found it before their resurgence under Cotterill.

Q: He'll be familiar with Hakeeb Adelakun. How did those two combine for the Robins?

JP: They combined very well and it hit Cheltenham hard when they both departed in January (although Hutchinson returned fairly swiftly, of course). Adekalun was excellent and used his spell at Cheltenham to regain match fitness after his injury lay-off, which Cotterill was comfortable with, knowing he’d make a significant contribution before moving upwards. Two highly effective attacking players who belong in League One.

Q: Was it evident that he was destined to play above League Two level, even early on?

JP: He scored less than two minutes into his debut with a perfectly-placed free-kick and that pretty much set the tone for his loan spell. He rarely had a bad game and, even if he was quiet at times, he’d still pop up with a goal more often than not.

By the end of the season, it was clear there would be League One interest and he is more than capable of making the step up and thriving in the third tier.

Q: How excited should Doncaster fans be at this signing?

JP: Based on last season, immensely excited. Grant McCann will know how to get the best out of Hutchinson and I see him as someone who will thoroughly enjoy playing under his leadership. He is at his best when playing regularly, enjoying his football with a smile on his face.

If McCann can facilitate that, then Doncaster have a seriously talented, skilful and free-scoring attacking midfielder on their hands. Every Cheltenham fan will wish him well for the future after what he did last season and, should he return as an opposing player, he’ll be given the warmest of welcomes.