Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County lose out to Bristol Rovers in transfer race | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Chippenham Town youngster Dan Ellison

Bristol Rovers are set to beat Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday to the signing of 19-year-old Chippenham Town centre-back Dan Ellison, according to Football Insider.

The defender, who only turned 19 in March, has been a regular feature for Chippenham Town this season, and underwent trials with the three aforementioned clubs, as well as League One side Reading, but has reportedly put pen to paper on a deal to sign for the side from the Memorial Stadium.

The young defender is clearly highly-rated given the number of clubs interested in signing him, and has quite sensibly opted for the side where he's most likely to play first-team football, with Rovers in League One and both Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County in the Championship.

Bristol Rovers may have found a star in Dan Ellison

Ellison had his first taste of senior football experience with Chippenham Town this season, and he thrived with the Bluebirds, making 30 appearances in total.

From the beginning of November onwards, Ellison was a mainstay in the starting XI, missing just three games from then until the end of the season, and he helped Chippenham Town to a solid, mid-table finish in National League South, finishing in 12th place.

Despite being the sixth tier of English football, National League South is a tough league with plenty of tough, aggressive players, so playing 30 games at that level at this stage in his career will serve Ellison well for the future.

Despite being a centre-half, the 19-year-old showed he has a goalscoring touch too, scoring four times for Chippenham, which included one against local rivals Bath City, albeit in a losing cause as his side were defeated 2-1 on Boxing Day.

His form in National League South also attracted international honours, and he was called up to the England C squad, a squad made up of English non-league players, for their international fixture against Nepal, and Ellison started and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win.

With this in mind, it's no surprise the youngster had a number of EFL clubs interested in signing him, and Bristol Rovers look like they have a potential star on their hands.

Choosing Bristol Rovers was a sensible move by Dan Ellison

Despite being a smaller club than Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County, and playing in a lower league, choosing Bristol Rovers was a sensible move as it'll give Ellison the best chance of breaking into the first-team.

Had Elison joined the two Championship clubs, he'd likely have had to settle for U21 football, but by joining a side in League One he could force his way into Matt Taylor's reckoning, and will have Football League Trophy games to try and show what he's capable of.

After joining from a side in the sixth tier, it's unrealistic to think that Ellison will be a regular starter in League One next season, but the path to a first-team breakthrough may be clearer than at a Championship side.

A move to Bristol Rovers may also appeal to Ellison due to geographical reasons, with Bristol not being too far away from Chippenham, while Derby and Sheffield Wednesday would have meant relocating to the other side of the country.

After a 15th place finish last season under Taylor, the Rovers boss will be looking to move up the table in what will be his first full season in charge at the Memorial Stadium, and it's apparent that the club are looking to do business this summer.

They've already agreed a deal to sign former Bristol City man Taylor Moore on a free transfer, and it looks as if they'll be adding Ellison to their ranks in the near future too.