Wade Elliott featured for Bristol City Legends as they slipped a 3-2 defeat to Bristol Rovers Legends in the Talk Club Cup at the Memorial StadiumWade Elliott led Bristol City to the League One title as Robins’ captain a decade ago(Image: Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Double-winning Bristol City captain Wade Elliott believes the Robins will have “as good a chance as anybody” in the Championship play-offs if they can secure a top six finish against Preston North End on the final day of the Championship campaign.

The 46-year-old donned the red and white shirt for the first time since his retirement in 2015 as part of the Bristol City Legends side that took on Bristol Rovers Legends in the Talk Club Cup on Tuesday evening. The event, which was set-up by the Bristol Rovers Community Trust, the Robins Foundation and Bristol-based charity ‘Talk Club’, saw former stars of both Bristol sides, as well as some local celebrities, face off at the Memorial Stadium with the aim of raising awareness and vital funds for men’s mental health.

Goals from Steve Elliott, Jamie Cureton and Barry Hales were enough for the Gas to secure a 3-2 win under the lights in BS7. Despite being on the losing team on the night, Elliott left the pitch with a smile on his face having played his part in the important cause.

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“It was nice, it’s obviously a really good cause,” he told Bristol Live after the full-time whistle. “The turnout has been really good, the atmosphere has been ace and we didn’t even get that much stick so it’s been really good.

“Hopefully, it’s something they can build on and continue year on year.”

While City legends were unable to get one over their Bristol rivals at the Mem, Liam Manning’s first team are flying high towards the top of the Championship currently. Heading into the final game of the regular season against Preston, the Robins sit fifth in the table, one point clear of both Coventry City and Millwall and two ahead of Blackburn Rovers. A win over Paul Heckingbottom’s side will guarantee the Reds a fifth-placed finish and in turn, book their spot in the play-offs for the first time since 2008.

Of course, nothing is secured at this stage and the pressure will be on City to get a result on Saturday afternoon. However, having seen Manning’s side in action on several occasions over the last few months, Elliott is confident the Reds have what it takes to get over the line, even after Monday evening’s defeat at the hands of Leeds United.

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“I’ve been lucky, I’ve managed to get to quite a few games,” the former skipper said. “I went to Sunderland and West Brom recently and it’s been great. The atmosphere’s been really, really good.

“You feel the momentum and you feel the vibe around the City a little bit. They’ve been great, they’ve been excellent and I’m looking forward to Saturday. I’m going and I’m sure it will be a good day.

“Listen, there are a few steps to go before they get there but they’ve put themselves in a brilliant position,” he continued. “I think you can almost discount last night [vs Leeds]. You’re going to a very, very good team that’s absolutely buoyant but I’ve watched them against some good sides, some top six, seven, eight sides and I think they can give anybody a game.

“They’ve obviously still got a little bit of work to do on Saturday but if they can get by that hurdle, they’ll have as good a chance as anybody.”

Elliott only spent a single full season at Ashton Gate as a player, but it was one that will live long in both his and the majority of supporters’ memories. Under the management of Steve Cotterill, City won promotion back to the Championship as League One champions and also lifted the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy with a 2-0 win over Walsall at Wembley.

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Over the course of that campaign, the Robins lost just five league games and amassed an impressive 99 points to finish eight points clear of second-placed MK Dons and 10 ahead of the play-off spots. Although that playing squad had a wealth of talent and experience to call upon, the bond between the players off and on the field played an integral role in City’s success that term and it is something the former skipper also sees in this current group.

“I don’t really think of it in terms of similarities but I’ve picked them up over the course of the season and they’ve been really consistent,” Elliott replied when asked how the current squad compared to the team he played a part in.

“I think you can see there’s a really good spirit within the group. You can always tell that on the pitch, the way that teams work with each other, the way they communicate and their body language.

“That was something we had in spades and it took us a long, long way. I think you can see that in the current team as well.”

You can find out more about Talk Club and the work they do here

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