Rovers have kept the good times rolling this summer, by announcing that highly-rated academy graduate, Joe Rankin-Costello, has completed his redemption arc by committing his long-term future to the club with a four-year deal!
Rankin-Costello, who turns 24 towards the end of July, has come on leaps and bounds since the arrival of Jon Dahl Tomasson as Head Coach, and has asserted himself as one of the mainstays in the team with his fantastic performances, both at right-back and in the occasional stint in midfield.
Having looked for all the world that he was heading out on loan for a stint in League One during the second-half of 2022-23, injuries and other factors prevented the midfielder-turned-right-back’s departure from the club, as he ended up becoming an integral part of Rovers’ battle to get into the playoffs, but despite the side falling short, ‘JRC’ caught the eye of many in Blue & White with his fantastic displays.
Whilst Rovers were unable to maintain their top-six spot, Rankin-Costello proved to be the bright spark in a rather frustrating end to Rovers’ season, as he was named as the runner-up, behind Dominic Hyam, in Rovers’ Player of the Year Awards. Having only made one appearance in the first-half of the season, which came in the first-half of a 1-0 home defeat to Stoke City, the 23-year-old looked frozen out of the team and on his way out of Ewood Park, until he was thrusted back into the side in December, in the 2-0 away victory at Carrow Road over Norwich City, where he effectively ran the show at right-back and remained almost ever-present – missing one game in all competitions, which was the 1-0 home win over Swansea City – as he cemented himself as indispensable to Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Alongside his revival in Blue & White, came his first goals in Rovers colours, as he kicked-off the comeback in an eventual 2-2 draw against Huddersfield Town in April, before netting and assisting in the final day 4-3 victory bonanza against Millwall, as Rovers missed out on the top-six by goal-difference. Alongside his goals, ‘JRC’ also notched up three assists with two coming for Sam Gallagher, first against Queens Park Rangers in a 3-1 win at Loftus Road which was after a beautiful Cruyff turn, before putting a cross on a plate for the attacker to nod home the opener against Coventry City at Ewood, in what proved to be a controversial 1-1 draw, prior to his final day exploits.
With this new deal and the security under his belt, Joe will be looking to kick-on and further show why he became a key figure in Tomasson’s Rovers side, this season and beyond. Despite having ambitions and discussions to play in the centre-of-midfield, they will have no doubt been a key factor behind his decision to extend his time at Ewood Park, which leaves an exciting conundrum for both, the staff and the supporters.
After confirming his stay in East Lancashire, Rankin-Costello discussed his delight behind his new terms with RoversTV:
“I’m buzzing. Last season was a bit of a breakthrough for me in terms of staying fit and playing well, so I’m happy. We were near the play-offs last year and we seem to be improving year-on-year and moving in the right direction, so hopefully we can push for the play-offs again this season.
“The start of last season, I didn’t really feel part of the team, but that made me want to be part of it even more and it’s a great feeling to be part of it. I think last season made me mentally stronger and I think I dealt with the start of last season well, so when I came into the team, I felt like I could deal with anything.
“Coming into the side at Norwich away, I didn’t really feel any pressure, because at that point I thought I was going out on loan and I’d just be helping the boys out for one or two games before I went. So I didn’t really feel any pressure and then that just rolled on throughout the rest of the season. Things can change quickly in football, both for good and for bad, so you’ve always got to stay on the ball and just keep trying to improve and that’s one of the big things that I took from last year.
“This is probably the most special contract I’ve signed, given the ups and downs, but this tops things off for me. I arrived here when I was 15 and I’d say I’ve got miles better as a footballer, and hopefully as a person as well. I’ve been here for eight years now and hopefully it can continue for as long as possible.”
Looking forward to seeing you flourish in Blue & White, Joe!
