Blackburn Rovers striker Jack Vale has joined National League side Barrow on loan for the rest of the season, the Championship club have confirmed.

Vale, who has yet to make a senior appearance for Blackburn, has scored five goals for the club's Under 23s side this season, and will now get his first chance in senior football with the National League promotion-chasers.

Barrow are currently top of the National League table, five points clear of the play-off places with ten games left to play this season, as they target a place in the Football League for the coming campaign.

That is something that Vale - who will be eligible for the play-offs for Barrow should they need to play them - will now look to help The Bluebirds do, and there will be some familiar faces for the Wales Under 23 international when he arrives at his temporary new club.

Midfielder Tom White and defender Matty Platt are both already on loan from Blackburn at Barrow, and will also remain with the Cumbria based club for the rest of the season.

Vale - who recently turned 19 - signed a long-term contract at Blackburn earlier this season, securing his future at Ewood Park until the end of the 2022/23 season.

The Verdict 

This looks to be a good deal for Vale to me.

Having shown plenty of promise with Blackburn's youth sides, it makes sense for him to now gain some experience of senior football, both to get used to the pressures of playing at first-team level, and prove he is capable of competing beyond the youth team environment.

The fact that opportunity is going to come at Barrow also appears to be a positive for Vale, since the presence of two familiar faces in the form of White and Platt should at least help him settle into his new surroundings.

Indeed, the fact that Barrow are aiming for promotion should also help Rovers here, since they will want their players to have some experience of the pressures of a situation such as that, as they themselves target a push for a return to the Premier League sooner rather than later.