Ryan Broom: High Hopes

When asked on the most promising players at Cheltenham Town, who could possibly make it at the top level, Cheltenham Town Commercial Director John Finnigan reckons: “Ryan Broom’s got a lot of potential, it’s only his first full year in the EFL. “

The club legend continues: “After a tough start, he’s really starting to shine. He’s someone we’ve got to start looking at tying down to a longer contract, otherwise he’ll be attracting interest from elsewhere.”

So, who is the 22-year-old who has impressed this season on the right flank for the Robins?

The young Welsh winger started his career at Bristol Rovers and having seen his playing time limited, made the switch to Cheltenham last summer and arrived hoping to impress experienced manager Gary Johnson.

However, the season doesn’t start as he would’ve hoped, 3 defeats and 1 draw in the first 4 games and Johnson is sacked, replaced by former Cheltenham player Michael Duff. Not an ideal start for a new signing.

But in football you have to learn to deal with adversity and Cheltenham currently sit 17thin League Two, 11 points clear of the drop zone. Here’s what Broom had to say when I met him and quizzed him on how he first got into playing football.

“When I first started playing as a kid, I didn’t really think I’d become a professional footballer to be honest.

“I just used to go outside, and with a few of the older lads from my street back home kick a ball about and I went from there really.”

“It first hit me when I started training with my local team and I felt I was better than some of the players around me. I was playing in Blackwood which is about 20 minutes outside of Newport, a team called Tireberth.

“I was struggling to find a team at the time and my mum was ringing up teams and they all had a waiting list, but one day my dad came home from work and he’d bumped into a friend who had said to come down and train one Tuesday.

Broom was born in Newport and signed his first professional contract with Bristol Rovers aged 18.

Having only made 9 appearances for the club and being loaned out 3 times, he made the short trip to switch Bristol to Gloucestershire.

And he hasn’t looked back. The wing-back has been one of Duff’s star players this season scoring three goals while providing 3 assists for team mates.

“It was a difficult start to be fair but we’ve definitely picked up and I think that the positivity and the confidence that everyone’s got now there’s no reason that we can’t keep on picking up points.

On new role at right wing-back: “It’s new responsibilities but I’m enjoying it, there are other positions and places that I like to play in the team but at the moment I’m happy there so it’s okay.

“The gaffer has said that it (new formation) works best for the squad we’ve got and I can definitely understand why we’re playing that formation.

“The manager’s definitely a proper coach, a lot of managers just sit in their office but he’s very hands on and that’s what I like. When he came in it was kind of a clean slate for everyone.

“I’d played a lot under Gary and also the assistant manager, but it was a clean slate for the new manager and he’s put his faith in me and hopefully I’ve repaid it.”

Broom admitted he was “surprised” to see Johnson go after just 4 league games, but the upturn in form proves the board right in letting go a man that got Cheltenham back into the football league following the club’s darkest hour.

But at first when it looked like a rash decision, Broom concedes that “these things happen in football, you’ve just got to get on with it.”

At just 22 Broom sees himself as a future Wales international, former Bristol Rovers team-mates Tom Lockyer and Connor Roberts have both made their full debuts at international and Broom thinks he can make it one day.

He says: “I definitely want to play for my country at some point. Once I’ve met my target then I’d like to get as many caps as possible.

“Maybe not this season but maybe next year if I can keep playing my football, I can take it from there. Personally, I know Tom Lockyer and Connor Roberts who are in the squad so for me just even knowing them is a good motivation for me.”

Broom is a popular lad among the squad, and shot off for a gym session after the interview where he was teased about being ‘famous now’. A polite, humble lad who dreams of playing in front of the red wall, but must first help fight for League 2 survival.