Paul Trollope led Bristol Rovers to promotion to League One, an EFL Trophy final and an FA Cup quarter-final

Daniel Hargraves Bristol Rovers reporter

16:00, 01 Jul 2025Updated 16:00, 01 Jul 2025

Former Bristol Rovers manager Paul Trollope celebrates promotion to League One in 2007(Image: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

Former Bristol Rovers manager Paul Trollope has joined the coaching staff at Championship promotion hopefuls Southampton as new head coach Will Still’s assistant.

Former RC Lens and Stade de Reims boss Still was appointed as the Saints’ new boss at the end of May after the south coast outfit were relegated from the Premier League following just one season back in the top-flight.

It was a miserable campaign for the Hampshire outfit, who only narrowly beat the lowest points tally every recorded in the Premier League (11), held by Derby County in the 2007/08 campaign, with 12.

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Despite being relegated with a whimper, Southampton are still amongst the early favourites to bounce back immediately having won the play-offs in their last Championship season.

Still arrives as the replacement of Ivan Juric, although the now-Atalanta boss was sacked in April after relegation was mathematically confirmed with Under-21s manager Simon Rusk taking interim charge for the remainder of the campaign. Rusk has since left the club.

Alongside Trollope, Saints legend Adam Lallana has also joined Still’s coaching staff having announced his retirement from playing last month. The former midfielder also won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool as well as earning 34 caps for England. The 37-year-old has been appointed as a first-team coach, as well as Carl Martin who was already at the club. Additionally, Rubén Martínez has joined as goalkeeping coach.

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Trollope was most recently at Luton Town as Rob Edwards’ assistant and has also held roles at the likes of Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Cardiff City since leaving Rovers in 2010.

The now-53-year-old was named player-manager at the Gas in 2005, working alongside director of football Lennie Lawrence. The pair guided the Pirates to promotion to League One in 2007. Rovers then established their place in the third tier while also reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2008. He also guided the Gas to the EFL Trophy final in 2007. In total, Trollope managed the Gas for 284 matches.

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