From Yeovil to Portugal: Where the 16 players who departed Bristol Rovers last summer are now

Bristol Rovers experienced a major squad overhaul last summer and are expected to be particularly busy in the transfer window again this year

Daniel Hargraves Bristol Rovers reporter

17:00, 02 Jun 2025

(From left to right) Antony Evans, Tristan Crama and Harvey Vale pictured during their time at Bristol Rovers(Image: PPA/UK)

The summer transfer window is yet to hot up with June only a few days old.

Some League Two clubs have confirmed signings, but the majority of deals will be announced within the next few months ahead of the transfer deadline on September 1.

As we wait for confirmation of Bristol Rovers ’ first signing ahead of the new season, Bristol Live took a look back to last summer to see how every player who departed the Gas has since fared in the last year.

Some have already come up against Rovers as opposition players, while others, with respect to the club, aren’t likely to face the Pirates any time soon…

The big departure of last summer, Evans was always expected to leave Rovers on the back of his player of the season award in the 2023/24 campaign. Eventually, Huddersfield Town came knocking, fresh from relegation from the Championship.

It is understood that the fee the Terriers paid the Gas was in the region of £450,000 which was re-invested into the playing squad that summer.

From the outside looking in, the attacking midfielder hasn’t yet shown the quality he did in blue-and-white quarters in Huddersfield colours, providing two goals and six assists in 37 appearances across all competitions. No one in West Yorkshire should be writing the 26-year-old off though.

Antony Evans pictured in action for Huddersfield Town(Image: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)James Connolly – Crewe Alexandra

Another player who departed for a fee, Connolly dropped back down to League Two level on a permanent basis having starred for Rovers in the fourth tier en route to promotion as well as spending the first half of the 2023/24 season on loan at Morecambe.

The young centre-back struggled to break into then-manager Matt Taylor’s plans and moved closer to home with Crewe.

In his first term at the Mornflake Stadium, the 23-year-old made 26 appearances across all competitions having missed most of the second half of the season with a torn hamstring. He is currently set to come up against the Pirates in League Two in the upcoming campaign.

Sam Finley – Tranmere Rovers

The former Rovers captain was one of nine players eventually released last summer and also made a move closer to home, joining Tranmere Rovers.

Rovers managed to steer themselves to safety in League Two while Finley played 37 games across all competitions, scoring twice.

The 32-year-old is another player who is currently set to face the Gas next season. A Mem return would undoubtedly see Finley receive a warm welcome back from home supporters after three years of outstanding service.

Sam Finley (right) pictured playing for Tranmere Rovers against Cheltenham Town(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)Harry Vaughan – Hull City

The first of the loanees, Vaughan arrived on loan at Rovers from Championship side Hull City on deadline day of the January window. He played 11 times in League One, starting just once in a forgettable loan spell.

Now 21, the attacking midfielder returned to Hull and made just four appearances for the Tigers during the season just gone. He still has another year on his contract at the MKM Stadium with the Tigers set to appoint a new manager to replace Ruben Selles.

Josh Grant – Wealdstone

Having spent virtually the entire 2022/23 season on the sidelines injured, Grant was somewhat of a regular the following campaign, playing 36 games for the Pirates.

Following his release last summer, it took the versatile defender longer than hoped to find a new club, before eventually joining National League outfit Wealdstone in November.

The 26-year-old went on to play 26 matches in the fifth tier, helping the north-west London outfit to survival on the final day. You would imagine that there could be some interest in Grant from higher up the pyramid this summer.

Harvey Vale – QPR

After an outstanding loan spell in north Bristol, Vale returned to parent club Chelsea and was reportedly subject to an offer from a club in Saudi Arabia which, for whatever reason, never materialised. Clubs in Germany and Belgium were also reportedly interested.

The young attacking midfielder, who played at left-back through the majority of his loan spell at Rovers, had to bide his time after failing to seal a move last summer. He made a few appearances for Chelsea’ first-team in the Europa Conference League before remaining in West London to join QPR in the January window.

Vale is still yet to make his debut for the Hoops as a lower back issue was discovered in his medical tests. Gasheads who watched the now-21-year-old in action for the Pirates will have no doubt that he will be able to succeed at Championship level.

Content cannot be displayed without consentHarvey Greenslade – Yeovil Town

A product of the Rovers academy, Greenslade departed his boyhood club on a free transfer having made one competitive first-team appearance.

After impressing on loan in the National League with Oxford City, the striker joined Yeovil Town last summer, scoring three goals in 27 appearances for the Glovers.

He featured against his former side in a pre-season friendly last summer and could do the same again this year with the two clubs set to play each other on July 19 at Huish Park in a friendly dedicated to Marcus Stewart.

Jordan Rossiter – Free agent (on loan at Oldham Athletic)

Although he is set to be a free agent this summer, technically Rossiter is still an Oldham loanee following Sunday’s triumph in the National League play-off final.

The midfielder joined Shrewsbury Town following his release from Rovers last summer, having returned from a lengthy period sidelined for the final four matches of the 2023/24 campaign. He played 15 times in League One, including facing the Gas at the Mem in October, before making a loan switch to Oldham in January.

Rossiter made 24 appearances for the Latics, including as a substitute at Wembley on Sunday as Oldham beat Southend United 3-2 in extra-time to seal a return to League Two. It would be great to see the midfielder get another Football League move this summer at the very least.

Luca Hoole – Shrewsbury Town

The second of three players to leave Rovers and join Shrewsbury last summer, Hoole was offered a new contract at his boyhood club but opted for a new challenge, joining Salop.

Having played 44 times across all competitions, the right-back was a frequent fixture during a turbulent campaign that ended in Shrewsbury being relegated to League Two. As he did twice this season, the 23-year-old is likely to come up against the Gas again in the upcoming campaign.

Luca Hoole pictured in action for Shrewsbury Town(Image: Pete Norton/Getty Images)Elkan Baggott – Ipswich Town (on loan at Blackpool)

It’s fair to say that Baggott’s loan spell in BS7 took some time to get up to speed, but by the final few months the centre-back was outstanding in blue-and-white quarters.

The Indonesia international got another League One loan move following his return to Ipswich, joining Blackpool where he played 20 times, including against Rovers on the final day of the season.

Following the Tractor Boys’ relegation from the Premier League, Ipswich confirmed that Baggott, who was due to be out of contract at Portman Road, has seen a contract option activated. It will be interesting to see what’s next for the 22-year-old.

Lewis Gordon – Chesterfield

After two seasons at Rovers, Gordon was released and subsequently joined League Two side Chesterfield last summer.

The left-back was a frequent performer, playing 39 times for the Spireites, including both legs of their play-off semi-final defeat to Walsall.

Now 24, Gordon is another player expected to come up against the Gas in League Two next season.

Tristan Crama – Millwall

In what was his first loan from Brentford, the French defender impressed in the first half of the 2023/24 season at Rovers before finding it tricky to nail down a regular starting spot under Matt Taylor for the final couple of months.

Crama was then sent out on loan to League One again, heading further south to Exeter City before being recalled in January to be sold to Championship side Millwall after an outstanding first half of the campaign for the Grecians.

The 23-year-old is now a regular starter in the second tier and will undoubtedly be one to watch over the coming years.

Tristan Crama is now playing regular Championship football with Millwall(Image: Ben Roberts – Danehouse/Getty Images)Ryan Jones – Aldershot Town

Having signed for the Gas in 2020 from Weston-super-Mare as a bright youngster, Jones never quite made the breakthrough everyone hoped for in BS7, playing just seven times for the first-team.

Following his release, the left-back joined National League side Aldershot Town, linking up with former Rovers director of football Tommy Widdrington. The 23-year-old has impressed for the Shots so far, playing in 40 of their league games alongside lifting the FA Trophy at Wembley.

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John Marquis – Shrewsbury Town

The third player to have joined Salop after leaving Rovers, Marquis had a decent season in front of goal despite the club’s relegation to League Two, scoring 12 goals in 43 appearances.

There’s no question that the 33-year-old can still be prolific at League One level, meaning that he could be a major asset for Shrewsbury in League Two next season.

Brandon Aguilera – Rio Ave

If there was ever a “streets will never forget” Rovers loanee, Aguilera would certainly be up there.

Arriving on loan from Nottingham Forest in the final hour of the January transfer window, the Costa Rica international was an unknown. A couple of days later, he scored the eventual goal of the season within minutes of his Gas debut away at Exeter City as Rovers won 1-0.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder struggled to replicate that moment, but did get another goal away at Cheltenham Town. He returned to Forest before being sold to Portuguese side Rio Ave, also owned by the Reds’ titan owner Evangelos Marinakis. They finished 11th in the Portuguese top-flight.

James Gibbons – Cambridge United

Last, but not least, another player expected to come up against Rovers in League Two next season.

Gibbons struggled for game time in the first half of the 2023/24 season, subsequently joining Cambridge on loan. He then made that move permanent following his release from the Gas last summer.

The right-back played 30 times for the Us, who were also relegated alongside the Pirates.

From Yeovil to Portugal: Where the 16 players who departed Bristol Rovers last summer are now

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