Where are Darrell Clarke’s first five signings as Bristol Rovers manager?
Clarke is no longer employed, although some of the players he signed during his early days at Rovers are now working for other clubs.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Jamie White’s time at Bristol Rovers was short-lived, with his contract being terminated after just a few months. He has played for Infinity in the Hampshire Premier League.
- Matty Taylor was an excellent signing for Clarke, scoring 68 goals in 132 appearances. He has since played for Bristol City, Oxford United, and Port Vale before heading to Forest Green.
- Jake Gosling joined Rovers from Exeter City and spent three years with the club before moving to Torquay United. He now plays for Rushall Olympic in the National League North.
- Darrell Clarke, who joined Bristol Rovers as an assistant in the summer of 2013, had a successful five-and-a-half year tenure.
He was unable to prevent the team from relegation after taking over as manager in March 2014, as they were relegated to the fifth tier.
However, following their elevation from League Two in 2016, they were promoted to League One, and he departed the club in the third division in December 2018.
Although results did not go his way in the latter stages of his tenure, most management stints end in failure, and he can be tremendously pleased of his efforts at Memorial Stadium.
- He was most recently at Port Vale and did an excellent job there too, securing promotion from the fourth tier during his time at Vale Park.
Focusing on his time at Rovers though, we take a look at the first six signings he made during his time at the club.
- He was Clarke’s first signing of the summer of 2014, but his contract was canceled just months later in November to allow him to join Sutton United.
The 33-year-old has spent the majority of his career in non-league, and news on him is scarce given his position at the bottom of the English football pyramid.
He was last seen playing in the Hampshire Premier League for Infinity.
- Taylor joined Rovers after leaving Forest Green and was a good addition to Clarke’s squad, netting 68 goals in 132 competitive appearances.
Unsurprisingly, he drew interest from other clubs and moved in January 2017 to join archrivals Bristol City, where he stayed for about 18 months before joining Oxford United.
After a successful loan spell at the Kassam Stadium, where he scored 64 goals, he played half a season with Clarke at Port Vale in 2022/23 before returning to Forest Green in the summer.
- The 30-year-old was at Exeter City before making the move to Rovers on a free transfer.
Spending three years with the latter, he then moved to Torquay United in 2017 and has spent time in non-league with Sporting Khasla and Bristol Manor Farm.
He now plays for Rushall Olympic, who currently ply their trade in National League North (sixth tier).
- Mansell was nearing the end of his career when he joined the club, but he stayed for three years.
He was most frequently seen during his first season in what was then known as the Conference, and he will be proud to have represented the club in three different divisions.
The forward wasn’t the most prolific player at the club, but he was instrumental in their growth and concluded his playing career at Rovers.
He entered coaching and led Gloucester City before being fired in September of last year.
As of February, he appears to be working as a Player Services Executive at the PFA, a post that is substantially different from any he has ever had in football.
- Midfielder Sinclair had a reasonably successful five years at Memorial Stadium, establishing a solid rapport with the fans and being well remembered by them.
He made 161 competitive games for the club before moving to Walsall, where he lasted two seasons until being released in 2021.
Following a brief hiatus, he appears to have played for Bedford Town, although his name is no longer included on their website.
