Bryant Bilongo on Bristol Rovers return, Harrogate loan spell and working with Darrell Clarke

Bryant Bilongo had an eventful first season in the EFL and is looking to kick on in the upcoming campaign

Daniel Hargraves Bristol Rovers reporter

15:24, 12 Jun 2025

Bryant Bilongo celebrates scoring on his Bristol Rovers debut against Northampton Town(Image: Geraint Nicholas/PPAUK)

Bryant Bilongo has insisted he is “so happy to be back” at Bristol Rovers following his loan spell at Harrogate Town which rounded off an eventful first season in league football.

The left-back immediately became a fan’s favourite in north Bristol following his arrival last summer for his infectious smile and upbeat attitude. His popularity grew further when a stoppage-time winner against Northampton Town sealed victory for his new club on the opening day – the full-back’s EFL debut.

Despite being contracted to Middlesbrough for nearly two-and-a-half years, Bilongo’s sole first-team appearance for Boro came in a League Cup tie against Barnsley with his other professional appearances before joining the Gas coming in non-league.

Having started the first five League One games of last season, the 23-year-old’s game time slowly started to decrease before playing just once in nine matches around the festive period.

A loan spell at League Two club Harrogate Town in the second half of the campaign followed, where the left-back played 16 times before returning to BS7 this summer.

“From a personal perspective, I enjoyed it,” Bilongo reflected on his first season at Rovers to the club’s media team. “Obviously, things didn’t go to plan and how everyone would have wanted to end, but from a personal point of view, I had fun. Especially at the start, as everyone knows, from the opening day, we had a good couple of months where we were rolling, we were playing, we were enjoying it, and I was smiling everywhere. It was good.

“Bristol is a place that welcomed me, and I am so happy to be back because being at the stadium again, I missed it.

“I was buzzing every single time I had to play,” he added. “To this day, I still think ‘wow, I’m playing in the league.’ I’m happy to get every single minute. Even if it’s not starting.

“I hope everyone noticed that even if it’s coming off the bench, wherever I had to play, whatever position, whether it was striker, left-back, winger or whatever, I just wanted to be on the pitch in front of everyone who came to watch us play. The fans travelled everywhere to watch us play, so I wanted to do it to show them my appreciation for their support.”

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To make 34 appearances across all competitions in his first season in the EFL was important for the defender’s development, while he even ended up playing a variety of positions including striker.

Although the plan would have originally been for Bilongo to return to the Pirates in League One, his first taste of League Two football could help ahead of the upcoming campaign following Rovers’ relegation.

On his loan spell at Harrogate, the left-back said: “It was really good. At the start, I was coming on here and there, but then once I was given a bit of time to play games, my minutes increased. It went really well. I think the fans took to me really well again. I don’t know why, maybe it was the smile, but I enjoyed my time. I just want to play.

“I just want to play, and I try to give it my all every game. We stayed up with Harrogate, which I was sent out there to do, and I enjoyed it. The experience I got from League Two as well, as I haven’t had as many games, but I did fulfil my target, and for the whole season, if I told myself the summer before that this is how my season will go, I would have taken it all day, really. Thirty league games, a lot of minutes, two goals and a couple of assists, it was a good season for me.”

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Bilongo, like his Rovers teammates, will be due back at The Quarters for the start of pre-season on June 23 and will have a new head coach to impress in Darrell Clarke.

The new Gas boss has already stated that players will have a clean slate with him and the left-back’s personality traits and attitude certainly seem to fit the minimum requirements for Clarke.

After a breakthrough season last term, the popular defender has certainly laid the foundations to build from as Rovers will look to return to League One at the first time of asking.

“I’ve heard about him [Darrell Clarke],” Bilongo confessed. “I’ve not met him yet. I’ll meet him when we go back to pre-season, but I’ve been told I’ll be a player that he’ll like. I hope I am. Obviously, I still have to go to training and train well and play well for him to like me. But I’ve been told so many good things about him. People have come up to me and told me what a good man he is. I’ve seen what he’s done for the club and watched his interviews. So, I’m excited and glad to work with him.”

“I love it [in Bristol]. “Even just coming back to see my flat and walk around my area, I love it in Bristol. Everyone welcomed me really quickly. My teammates, the staff, the fans, everyone. I love it, and I hope everyone loves me too. So, I’m buzzing to see the fans again when we play our pre-season games, and I’ll give them a smile and a wave again.”

Bryant Bilongo on Bristol Rovers return, Harrogate loan spell and working with Darrell Clarke

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