Danny Schofield believes the achievement ceiling is very high for Joseph Olowu and is looking forward to helping him realise his potential at Rovers.
Olowu has signed a new two-and-a-half year contract to commit his future to the club until the summer of 2025.
Interest in the defender was high as he considered his future and Schofield believes it is a real plus point for Rovers that Olowu put his faith in Rovers to help continue his development.
“There were a lot of clubs interested in Joe and I won’t hide away from that fact,” Schofield said. “It’s good news that he’s decided to stay here and that he feels he can grow and develop here.
“He is a very ambitious person as well and we want ambitious people at the football club.
“He has a real athletic presence, he’s really good in duels and the fundamental side of it. There are areas where he can improve, like any another player, but we feel his potential is very high.
“Players want an opportunity and for people to give them a chance. The club committed to that with Joe and it shows what we think of him and where we feel he can develop and grow.”
In Olowu, Schofield feels he has another player who can take a leadership role within the squad.
He said: “He has a really positive impact on other people, particularly the players which is important because we’re trying to develop that culture and connectivity and team spirit together. He brings that to the party.
“He can definitely develop into the leadership role. Tom Anderson is our captain but the more leaders you have on the pitch, the better for me. I think we’ve got a number of players in that bracket and Joseph is definitely one of them.”
Olowu is the third player in recent weeks to sign a new contract with the club, following Tom Anderson and Kyle Hurst and Schofield is delighted to have three key players commit to the club well before the summer.
He said: “With players having interest around them because they’re good footballers who are doing well, it’s good to get them signed up for the foreseeable future. It’s important for us because we can prepare, plan and build for next season with a group that are established with the messages of what we want them to do in the game.
“If you can get key players nailed down then you can hit the ground running in pre-season, add people and grow from there.”