Exclusive: "Bodes well" - Lee Hendrie drops Bristol Rovers, Inigo Calderon prediction | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has praised Inigo Calderon for the work he has done at Bristol Rovers, as he predicted a bright future for the club.

Lee Hendrie believes that Bristol Rovers can have a bright future under Inigo Calderon after back-to-back victories eased their relegation concerns.

The Gas appointed the rookie Spaniard as their new head coach on Boxing Day, after a poor campaign under Matt Taylor up to that point.

As this was Calderon’s first senior managerial job, with his previous experience coming with Brighton’s U18s, it was a bold move by the Bristol Rovers hierarchy.

However, after an inconsistent start, the side have picked up seven points from their last three games, which includes consecutive wins over Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers at the Memorial Stadium.

Those two victories, both over teams with designs on promotion, have gone some way to alleviating fears of relegation to League Two, and Rovers could now kick on under Calderon heading into 2025/26 and beyond.

Bristol Rovers move clear in relegation battle

Those wins came at a critical period, and whilst Calderon is warning against complacency, Bristol Rovers are now nine points clear of 21st-placed Burton Albion with ten games to go.

So, they look set to extend their stay in the third tier, and then attention will turn to Calderon’s first full season in charge.

And, speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Hendrie was full of praise for the work the 43-year-old has done, and he urged the board at Bristol Rovers to support Calderon in the summer as he will be capable of delivering more success.

“They’ve obviously had two huge wins over promotion hopefuls, which has certainly given them confidence to kick-on. They’ve steered away from that relegation zone since Calderon has been there.

“He’s a young manager, and I’ve worked with him, I played with him at Brighton, and he’s got a great temperament and mentality. You do look at that, and you have to turn a corner, and have a run of form that’s going to take the club forward.

“It bodes well for next season, because they have kicked on, and if they can have a strong finish to the season, and he gets backed in the summer, they could go again, and it would be great to see.

“New, young, up-and-coming managers deserve that opportunity, so it’s looking good for Bristol Rovers.”

Bristol Rovers can hope for an exciting era under Inigo Calderon

There’s no getting away from the fact that Calderon was a risky appointment by the club, and there have been some highs and lows over the past few months.

But, a return of six wins in 15, and 20 points in that period, offers reason for encouragement, and the victories over Bolton and Huddersfield were huge for the club.

Of course, Calderon is right to insist they can’t lose focus now, and they still have to get points on the board to ensure they stay in League One.

Nevertheless, they are in a very strong position, and once safety is secured, they can look ahead to a big summer, where the boss will try to put his own stamp on the squad.