Mike Jackson expressed his delight at confirming the loan signing of midfielder Jack Young ahead of a ‘great challenge’ at Newport County this weekend.
Rovers announced the arrival of Young on Wednesday afternoon, who will be available for selection at Rodney Parade on Saturday afternoon.
Outlining the qualities that the 19-year-old will offer to Tranmere and why this addition has come at a good time for the squad, Jackson said: “He’s got a lot about him, in terms of confidence and ability. He gets around the pitch well, he’s good with the ball and likes to take a pass on. The thing I like about him the most is that he likes to play forward and create; he’s not a midfield player who just passes back and square. He will be a great acquisition, will give good competition in that area of the pitch and the lad is keen to learn and be part of it.
Jackson continued: “We’ve got a couple of people back from the COVID situation. We’ve still got some isolating and a couple of injuries as well. We’re a little bit thin on the ground and we’re just waiting now over the next 24 hours to see where we’re at with everything. We’ve not been able to train the way we’d like to, but we’ve adapted to that. We’ve just got to look at how the players who have been back today have responded. Even if you come back from COVID, you can’t start training straight away as there is a four or five-day protocol before you can start joining in properly.
“If you look at the teams that we’ve been able to field so far since we started the season, we’ve not had a chance to actually put a proper starting-eleven out. Each week, this group has had to come through something and it builds through the team- they get that resilience about them. There are players that we’ve brought in and it’s already in their character, which is a big help to start with.”
The Whites will be looking to summon the spirit from their 2-2 draw with Salford City against opposition who have enjoyed a positive start to their Sky Bet League Two season, having collected ten points from a possible 15.
Tranmere shaped up against Michael Flynn’s side last time out in the fourth tier, with Jackson fully aware of what to expect from the Exiles.
“Newport is always a tough place to go. I know the manager really well and used to play with him at Blackpool. You’ve got to be physically and mentally prepared when you go to Newport. We know it’s going to be a tough game, but it’s a great challenge. They’re the sort of games as a player and manager that you want to be going into. You have to take on that challenge.”