Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho…Clinton Mola. Three footballers that have something in common – they left England for opportunities in Germany as youngsters.
Although Mola hasn’t yet experienced the bright lights of Champions League nights like the former Borussia Dortmund duo, he is one of a growing number of English talent that opted to go abroad in search of first team football when opportunities at their club were scarce.
Coming through the ranks at Chelsea, the left-back left Cobham for Stuttgart in January 2020, just two months before lockdown hit. Die Schwaben were then in Bundesliga 2, the second tier of German football, achieving promotion back into the Bundesliga that campaign.
Although over the course of three-and-a-half years of being attached to Stuttgart the young defender only made four Bundesliga appearances, he still got incredible opportunities including playing against RB Leipzig and being on the bench at Dortmund.
That spell also included a brief return home to play on loan in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers before he made a permanent return to England in summer 2023 with Reading.
It’s becoming increasingly common to see young English players go abroad and it’s something Mola is a major advocate of, having done it himself as an 18-year-old almost five years ago.
“I think we’re seeing it more frequently now,” the Bristol Rovers defender told Bristol Live. “I think young English players are starting to go into different countries, into different leagues just for new experiences.
“I think it’s good. I think it’s good for our country. I think it’s good for the game as well. And I think it’s only gonna continue happening more, but there’s also opportunities here as well. This is where everyone grows up, so it’s just your own preference and what suits you as a person.
“It was new to me,” the 23-year-old added. “The whole experience was new, but I feel like if the opportunity is there, why not take it? Everyone’s career paths are different so, if you have an opportunity to play in another country, another league, why not? And I’ve definitely gained some valuable lessons from being out there. I feel like I’ve matured, not only as a player, but as a person as well. I think that’s important for me as well.
“I still know a bit [of German] actually. I still can still speak a bit. It’s still remembered in the brain so, if I do need to bring it out one day, we’ll see.”
The versatile defender was one of the first of an eventual 16 signings recruited in the summer having left Reading after a year and has certainly been amongst the stand-outs.
Playing either as the left-sided centre-back in a back-three or at left-back in a four, Mola has produced some outstanding defensive moments with a couple of contributions up the other end of the pitch too.
Of course, the stand out contribution was the 23-year-old’s goal away at Burton Albion last month, a composed volley inside the area which completed a quickfire turnaround early in the second half after Shaq Forde had equalised off the bench.
Based on his celebration where raw emotion broke free out of his body, you could guess that the effort was Mola’s first professional goal, something he admits was always on his mind.
“Every night before games, I always used to dream about what’s my first goal going to look like,” the defender confessed. “To be honest, when I did score, I didn’t even know how to celebrate. I think I was celebrating for like two minutes.
“With my position being in defence I feel like I even think about it more because you know you’re not going to get many opportunities to score.
“When you’re a kid, all you dream about is scoring goals in football, that’s what football is about, so for me to help the team and to chip in with the goals and celebrate in front of the away fans, that was big for me.”
This weekend Rovers host Crawley Town in League One in one of five matches that have survived postponements amid the international break, a game that they realistically should be winning.
It feels as though some time has passed since their last league victory against Shrewsbury Town but with duties in other competitions and fewer midweek matches, the Gas are only without a win in two league games and in both they performed admirably.
Matt Taylor’s side arguably produced their best performance of the campaign in a 1-0 defeat at Reading before more than matching a play-off hunting side in Lincoln City in a 1-1 draw at the Mem last weekend.
Bristol Rovers Live on Whatsapp
Join Bristol Rovers Live’s Whatsapp community for all the biggest Bristol Rovers stories sent straight to your phone
Bristol Rovers Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the Bristol Rovers news, live match coverage, team news, transfers, fixtures, analysis and more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The internal feeling is that Rovers have turned a corner and are on an upward trajectory but only wins will prove that that is the case and still, as it was last season, the major evading factor that the Gas are seeking is consistency.
“I think consistency is key in football and that’s something that we’re working on,” Mola insisted. “We’re striving for just to always be consistent, putting in consistent performances and getting consistent results and I think we can continue to do better, but that’s what we’re aiming for, that’s what we’re pushing for and that’s the most important thing.
“I feel like the partnerships are beginning to come together now and it’s becoming evident. For me at the back as well, it’s important for me to build partnerships with my other teammates at the back as well. I feel like that’s definitely coming together as well and getting good relationships and you can see that on the pitch as well.
“It was a hectic beginning. I think we are a new group. There’s a lot of new lads in this team. So it probably will take us a little while to gel in and settle together. I think we’re settled now. I think it’s a good group and we understand each other as well.”
On his ambitions for his time in BS7, the defender added: “I think when I first joined the club a few months ago, the aim was clear. There was a clear pathway and a clear project. They want to be challenging, they want to be going into the higher divisions at some point. But I feel like for this season, we’re just taking it game by game and we’re just trying to get as many points on the board and we’ll see what it brings us by the end of the season.”