Michael Forbes joined Bristol Rovers on loan from Premier League side West Ham United for the 2024/25 season.

Born in Ardboe, Northern Ireland, Forbes spent time with Cookstown Youth and Dungannon Swifts before moving to the famed West Ham United Academy of Football in July 2020. The left-footed defender signed scholarship terms and was a regular in the West Ham U18s, making his debut for the U21s in December 2021.

Forbes signed his first professional contract with West Ham in the summer of 2022 and would be involved in the senior team squad for the first time for a UEFA Europa Conference League clash away to FCSB in November 2022.

A difficult run with injuries hampered Forbes' playing time in 2023 but the 20-year-old would feature in 12 matches for the Hammers U21s in the 2023/24 campaign.