Defender Alfie Kilgour has revealed his delight after re-signing for Bristol Rovers on a two-year deal.
The 27-year-old joined the Gas as an eight-year-old, rising through the ranks to make his first team debut in 2019. He went on to make 119 appearances for the club and helped them achieve promotion from League Two in 2022.
The centre-back finally departed his boyhood club in 2023, dropping back to the fourth tier with Mansfield Town. However, he suffered heartbreak during the Stags’ promotion-winning campaign when he ruptured his Achilles tendon.
Last season proved to be hit and miss for Kilgour. He failed to nail down a regular starting berth in Nigel Clough’s side, making just 17 League One appearances. He was eventually released at the end of the campaign.
Kilgour Makes Emotional Return
Bristol Rovers return to League Two next season after suffering relegation in May. This led to the return of former manager Darrell Clarke, who enjoyed two promotions in his first stint in charge.
The 47-year-old has opted to bring Kilgour back to the club, having given the player his first professional contract as a teenager. Speaking to official club media, he revealed the reasons for his return:
“It feels absolutely amazing to be back. I class Bristol Rovers as my home, so it’s good to be back home for sure. It’s a fresh start and it is new beginnings, and some might even say there is a bit of unfinished business. It’s so good to be back.
“There are a lot of reasons. The Club is ambitious. This is a massive Club that definitely shouldn’t be in League Two. We have the gaffer, Darrell, who has come back, and he was the one who gave me my first professional contract at 17-years-old. That was a big draw too.
“Then there are the facilities, the fanbase, it’s everything. Bristol Rovers is a massive Club that was my home from the age of eight to 24. There were many draws, many good people at this Club who I want to reconnect with. And, from a personal standpoint, it’s a fresh start for me. I’ll give 110 per cent! There is an underlying love for this Club for my family and I, so to be back in the famous Blue-and-White Quarters is a dream and I’m very excited.”
Writer’s View
If Kilgour can stay fit, this could be a fantastic signing for Bristol Rovers. They will be desperate to bounce back to League One at the first time of asking, just as they did the last time they were in the division. Having a defender of this calibre will certainly boost their credentials, whilst giving the fans a boost at seeing the return of ‘one of their own’.
