AFC Fylde loan move excites Blackburn Rovers defender
Patrick Gamble has high hopes for his time with AFC Fylde after joining the Coasters on a season-long loan from Blackburn Rovers.
The defender’s move was confirmed prior to last Saturday’s victory over Solihull Moors on day one of the new National League season.
Gamble appeared for the final quarter-hour at Mill Farm, having been named on the bench by Fylde boss Chris Beech.
“I’m really happy to be on board,” the 20-year-old told Fylde’s website.
“After speaking to Chris and Nick (Anderton, assistant boss), it’s a great opportunity for me to come here and play men’s football and help the team get to where they want to be.
“I’ve been at Blackburn for 13 years so it’s all I’ve ever known really – so it’s good to get a change of environment and see what things are like somewhere else and explore a little bit.
“It’s also good to move from (under) 21s football into men’s football, where getting wins and points are a lot more important, so it’s a really exciting time for me.”
Having joined Blackburn’s academy at U7 level, Gamble has mainly featured for the U18s and U21s.
He helped them reach the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals in 2022 before playing twice in cup competitions for the senior team last season.
Beech added: “We thank Stuart Jones (Blackburn’s head of academy) and Blackburn Rovers for entrusting us with one of their talented younger players.
“He’s very capable on the ball with his receiving and releasing skills, with a strong defensive mindset which will help progress both our team and his career during his experiences here at AFC Fylde.”