As the 2022-3 season drew to its conclusion, Boro’ revealed that young goalkeeper Rylee Mitchell had signed his first pro deal. The timing is perhaps notable by the fact we’d earned promotion to League One with a game still to play. With it came an opportunity for gaffer Steve Evans to add some rising stars to the first team squad. And with a trip to Barrow on the horizon, Mitchell was one of two players to make a step up from the academy.
It’s also pertinent that we had tied Mitchell to a pro deal in light of our goalkeeping troubles during the second half of that campaign. In all, we got through seven over the course of the season. Mitchell may have arrived on the scene a little late and a little young to do something about that. But it’s certainly fair to say that getting the benefit of another stopper to call on (especially one that’s 6’4) was nice to have in the back pocket.
Of course, the expectation in the first instance would be that Mitchell would probably go out on loan down the divisions to pick up some senior action. Nothing wrong with that. It’s all for the benefit of the Boro’, after all…