Isaac Hutchinson has admitted that the recent break has helped him reset with the attacking midfielder enjoying his best spell after a tough start to life at Bristol Rovers.
The 24-year-old was the Gas’ best player on Tuesday night in their 3-2 defeat to Exeter City in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, scoring Rovers’ second equaliser and also threading through Luke Thomas who set up Connor Taylor for their first.
The attacking midfielder also played the majority of the 1-0 defeat at Reading three days prior and impressed while also scoring his first League One goal in the defeat at Huddersfield Town.
Although there is evidently still a whole lot more to come from Hutchinson, he’s certainly in the midst of an upwards trajectory with his displays, admitting: “The break gave me an opportunity to not think about football for a bit and just get away from it and regroup a bit and and I think it done me good because it was a really frustrating time before that.
“Stop start. Started in the team and then I’m out of the team and not getting on. It’s always frustrating when that happens especially when you’re new to the club and you wanted to make an impression and hit the ground running and stuff.
“But yeah, I think the Huddersfield goal was a big weight lifted just to get that first league goal especially and, yeah, definitely gave me a bit of confidence to push on.
“I’ve had more regular minutes since the break and yeah, I feel like I’ve done well in them games now. Confidence is definitely building.”
The 24-year-old was the first of an eventual 16 players announced by the club and joined from League Two side Walsall with Rovers meeting his buyout clause, although the exact figure paid isn’t clear.
After registering 15 goals and 12 assists in 53 appearances for the Saddlers last term, there was serious interest from other clubs as well as the Gas but the transition from League Two to League One hasn’t been as smooth as some might have thought it would be.
Hutchinson started Rovers’ first three league matches before being an unused substitute against Cambridge United and Barnsley. He then got the nod to start again against Wigan Athletic but was hooked at half-time with the Gas going on to lose 4-0 that day.
Since, he’s made just four appearances, two of which coming from the bench in the league and was on the scoresheet at Huddersfield, although his strike was merely a consolation in a 3-1 loss.
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However, with three goals in all competitions, also scoring against Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s, he’s actually Rovers’ current top scorer and is now looking to make the desired impact.
“I always knew it was gonna be a step up and I think you always, in an ideal world, just want to hit the ground running and things will click,” the summer signing admitted. “But obviously, probably more often than not it doesn’t happen and you have to go through that little period of frustration and being out of the team and it gives you a bit more motivation to get back in it and stuff like that.
“So yeah, it’s just been frustrating I think. I’ve still enjoyed my time here. I’ve still been happy and in and around the boys and the group because it’s a really good group and group of staff as well.
“But yeah, when you go home and you think like, you want to be able to show people what the club’s bought and what I know I’m capable of.
“It’s good now that I feel like I’m sort of getting towards that point. I don’t think, probably it’s even at 75 percent of what I think I’m capable of or have shown previously, but I think I’m getting there and that’s the most important thing.”