Cardiff City have to follow Joel Colwill blueprint as Bristol Rovers and Newport County circle | OneFootball

Joel Colwill's loan move to Cheltenham Town was a resounding success, which Cardiff City will be looking to replicate with Michael Reindorf

Joel Colwill has essentially thrown down the gauntlet for Cardiff City players to succeed away from the club on loan after flourishing with Cheltenham Town, a blueprint which simply must be repeated with fellow prospect Michael Reindorf amid interest from Bristol Rovers and Newport County.

If there's one overwhelming positive to take away from the Bluebirds at the moment, it simply has to be the continued emergence of promising talent within the club's youth set-up - which has received significant investment from Vincent Tan, with Cardiff having opened a new, state-of-the-art academy training base in Llanrumney little over a year ago.

Cardiff have various age-group sides performing extremely well across the last twelve months or so, with a number of academy products graduating to the first-team frame. The likes of Isaak Davies and talented playmaker Rubin Colwill made their transitions some time ago but much will now be hoped of the current crop including Joel, the younger brother of the latter.

There is a considerable catchment area to work with inside the Welsh capital and the nearby Valleys region in particular, but Cardiff have also cast their net further afield and swooped for Reindorf from Norwich City's academy back in the summer.

He's enjoyed a strong start to life in South Wales, although a loan move now appears the likely course of action as he bids to gain sufficient minutes and experience elsewhere and Cardiff must be trying to replicate the success of Colwill's aforementioned loan move with Reindorf.

Joel Colwill's successful loan spell with Cheltenham Town from Cardiff City

All things considered, Colwill's half-season loan stay with Cheltenham simply couldn't have gone any better. Bluebirds supporters made sure to raise hype and excitement among the Robins faithful after the signing was completed back in August, and Colwill instantly showed just what all the fuss was about.

The Wales under-21 international midfielder was thrown straight in for Cheltenham's opening day clash against Newport and made an immediate impact, scoring a stunning brace - which was capped off with a 96th minute winner, no less - to inspire a 3-2 victory for the hosts.

Colwill then had something of a goal drought but still managed to provide assists and catch the eye before scoring his second brace of the season in a 3-1 FA Cup victory at Rotherham United in November. He truly exploded into life in December, though, and Cardiff had seen enough after he bagged yet another brace against Crewe Alexandra and remained on the scoresheet days later at home to Notts County.

As is typical with the vast majority of loan agreements, Cardiff had the option to recall Colwill from his stay in Gloucestershire and decided to do just that following an impressive haul of nine goals and three assists across all competitions.

Such is his promise, many supporters had even called for him to return to the first-team, which will naturally be the goal next season for a player with a richly promising future and the ability to operate at Championship level next season.

Football League World exclusively revealed three League One clubs in Bristol Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Exeter City were all interested in Colwill, who has since joined the latter until the end of the campaign.

It will be interesting to monitor his progression in the third-tier with Exeter, but both Cardiff and Cheltenham deserve strong credit for just how well the move played out. Cardiff evidently found the right destination for the 20-year-old, who flourished under a manager willing to accommodate and play to his strengths while handing the requisite match minutes to further his immediate and long-term development.

Cardiff City must follow Joel Colwill loan blueprint with Michael Reindorf

The Bluebirds have endured mixed results with loaning out youngsters in recent years. Some have thrived, such as Colwill himself along with the aforementioned Davies and Eli King with both Morecambe and Ross County last term, too.

But 22-year-old King has found game time harder to come by on loan at Stevenage this time around and both Roko Simic and Ollie Tanner spent disastrous loan stays with KV Kortrijk - who also had Davies on loan in 23/24 - and York City respectively, meaning the success of loan outgoings represents a mixed bag and finding a temporary destination for Reindorf, and other youngsters for that matter, which could prove as beneficial as Colwill's is of utmost importance.

Reindorf, who made unprecedented waves with two promising EFL Cup appearances against Bristol Rovers and Southampton earlier on in the season and has continued to impress infront of goal for Darren Purse's under-21 side, is being lined up for a potential loan exit this month.

The 19-year-old frontman remains incredibly raw, as evidenced in his second Championship appearance at home to Preston North End in December, but there is still good reason for excitement. Direct and dynamic, Reindorf has shown his ability to cause problems for seasoned opposition defenders with his high pressing and energetic intensity both in and out of possession, while he's also confident on the ball and is blessed with quick feet and a good turn of pace.

After manager Omer Riza disclosed a loan move to a League One or League Two club was in the pipeline, FLW broke the news that both Bristol Rovers and Newport are interested in the teenage forward this month ahead of a potential loan exit.

Reindorf is currently out of action with an ankle injury, but he's poised to be back fully fit soon and will be bidding to do just that in order to go out and gain increased experience.

Cardiff must do everything to ensure his next destination, wherever that may be, proves beneficial for his development. Game-time is the priority, of course, but also locking down a sound stylistic fit to prepare him for a first-team career at the Cardiff City Stadium and sending the striker to a club not too far from South Wales so his progress can be continually tracked up close are important factors worth considering too, as the Bluebirds nailed it to a tee with Colwill.