Gatlin O'Donkor stated that he feels he has been at Bristol Rovers for a while despite only signing on deadline day ahead of the Gas’ Sky Bet League One clash against Wigan Athletic.
Rovers are heading into the weekend after being defeated for the second time in the third tier, losing 2-1 to Barnsley at Oakwell Stadium.
The striker was the fifteenth of sixteen summer signings in the transfer window, joining on loan from Oxford United on deadline day.
Two weeks after moving to the Pirates, O’Donkor has been delighted with his start to life in Bristol and is happy with the feeling around the group.
“It’s been really good, to be honest,” he said. “The two weeks I’ve been here, I’ve really enjoyed my time. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the boys, the gaffer and the way he wants to play football.
“It’s been really good, to be honest,” he said. “The two weeks I’ve been here, I’ve really enjoyed my time. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the boys, the gaffer and the way he wants to play football."
It didn’t take long for O’Donkor to debut for Rovers, coming off the bench the day after signing to help the Gas beat Cambridge United at the Memorial Stadium before getting more minutes as a substitute against Barnsley.
The striker has enjoyed playing for Matt Taylor’s men and the reaction he has had from the fans.
“It’s been good to make two appearances, especially the first game at home when I came on and all the fans were buzzing,” he said. “It was a really nice feeling.
“The second game at Barnsley was a bit disappointing, not to come away with at least a point, but that’s football. You can’t win every game, so we’ve got to take it on the chin for the next game, but I’ve enjoyed it.”
O’Donkor joined a completive attack in the summer, with Shaq Forde, Promise Omochere, and Ruel Sotiriou also moving to the Club.
The loanee insisted that the number of players competing for a spot in the team will only help them improve, but also stated that they all support each other.
“It definitely helps that we are competing against each other,” said the forward. “The more quality we have in the squad, the better. At the end of the day, everyone wants to play, but you can’t play every game, so you’ve got to take your chance when you get it.
“We definitely have a good group here. Everyone here is quite close, so we all want each other to do well no matter who is playing.”
Rovers have been strong at The Memorial Stadium in League One, beating Northampton Town and Cambridge without conceding.
O’Donkor has already tasted the atmosphere after coming on against the U’s and is looking forward to experiencing it for a second time.
“I can’t wait to see the fans again,” he said. “ When I signed, I spoke to some previous players that had played here when I was at Oxford, and they were telling me the fans here are amazing once they get going.
“It’s such a wonderful place to play, and I want to experience that.”
