One of the highlights among the recent images from Bristol Rovers’ pre-season training camp in Portugal was a joint group photo of players and staff from the Gas and their opponents in a secretly-arranged friendly with FC Porto.
There were beaming smiles across the board but lurking towards the back row was the stern gaze of Rovers’ new frontline striker, just a few days into his career in the quarters - John Marquis. “Bet he’s fun at parties”, was a predictable response among the light-hearted social media replies, but here’s the thing, John Marquis is a serious man - in how he plays and talks off the field.
There was an intensity to how he was closing down Chippenham defenders on Tuesday night, sometimes even a little too close to the bone, and also in mapping out his hopes and dreams for the next two years in a Rovers shirt. His goal inside 10 seconds wasn't met with a smile, but a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders.
