Brentford goalkeeper Matt Cox has signed for Sky Bet League One side Bristol Rovers on a season-long loan.
Cox, who penned a six-year deal with the Bees last summer, joins Joey Barton’s team ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Signing for the west Londoners from AFC Wimbledon in 2021, Cox was initially part of Neil MacFarlane’s B-team squad.
He was soon promoted to the first team and was in Thomas Frank’s Premier League squad on 21 occasions last season.
The 20-year-old played against his new side in a friendly for the B team last week, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for his parent club.
Rovers finished 17th in League One last term - their first season back in the third tier after promotion in 2022.
Phil Giles, Brentford director of football, said: “Matt is a young goalkeeper with a lot of potential and this loan move is an important step in his career.
“Ellery Balcombe was on loan at Bristol Rovers last season. We have a positive relationship with the staff there and know that they will provide Matt with an excellent environment to continue his development.
“Matt is ready to play first-team football and we are excited to track his progress over the coming months.”
Cox began his career at Chelsea at the age of eight, before moving to Wimbledon when he was 14.
He progressed rapidly with the south London side, signing his first professional contract at the age of 17 and joining Brentford a year later.
Cox was key in the B team’s 2022/23 Premier League Cup win last season, featuring in the final victory over Blackburn Rovers at Gtech Community Stadium.
The keeper is also an England youth international, featuring for the under-17, under-19 and under-20 sides.
He was part of the Young Lions squad that won the U19 European Championship, beating Israel in the final to lift the trophy. Cox played in four of England’s five wins and earned a spot in the Team of the Tournament.
Cox was also a member of England's 2023 U20 World Cup squad earlier this summer and made four appearances prior to the team's round-of-16 exit.