Bristol Rovers have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe on loan from Premier League side Brentford for the rest of the season.

The former England youth international becomes Joey Barton's first signing of the January transfer window and he will rival James Belshaw for the number-one role as the manager tries to improve Rovers' defensive record.

The 23-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan with League Two side Crawley Town, suffering an injury on the opening day of the campaign, but he has been back in the team since October, making 12 appearances.

Despite Crawley's struggles, Balcombe's performances caught the eye and the Bees recalled him to facilitate a step up in level with Rovers, who are searching for more defensive security after leaking too many goals for the manager's liking so far this term.

The Gas have conceded 45 goals in 27 games this season, making them one of the more porous defences in League One and Balcombe's arrival brings added competition for Belshaw, who has been backed up by Anssi Jaakkola so far this term.

After playing a starring role in Rovers' promotion campaign last season, which saw Belshaw deservedly named the club's player of the season, the 32-year-old has faced moments of difficulty this year. An unsettled injury-hit defence in front of him has not helped, but there have been a couple of costly errors, one of which came in the 4-3 defeat to Exeter City last month.

After that game, Barton was firm in his criticism of the former Harrogate Town keeper in his post-match press conference, and he has since said there will be no sentimentality in Rovers' recruitment efforts this month with the manager open to additions in most areas of the pitch.

Due to his sweeper-keeper style – which has saved Rovers more goals than the pair conceded this season when he has got it wrong – which suits the high line Barton likes to play, Belshaw has faced limited competition from the more orthodox, albeit highly experienced, Jaakkola, but Balcombe's arrival at the Mem signals the place between the posts is up for grabs.

Balcombe is the first of a handful of additions Barton hopes to make in this window, with centre-back the priority positon after the departures of Bobby Thomas and Alfie Kilgour.

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