Part three of our report on cap presentations brings us to members of the current squad who have been presented with their cap to commemorate their Bristol Rovers league debut.
First up is Kofi Shaw, who has been the standout young player to represent the club this season. Kofi joined Rovers after being released by West Bromwich Albion, having joined their Academy with the U-7 age group, in 2022.
His league debut for Rovers came at Wigan in the final game of last season, a game which ended in a 2-0 defeat but in which he became the 1,006th player to play league football for the club.
He spent time at Yeovil Town, on loan, earlier this season, appearing in 15 National League fixtures for them before being recalled in February this year.
Although he had to wait a while to break into the first team, he has now had an impressive run in the side and going into the final game of the season, he’d made 15 league appearances for Rovers
Gatlin O’Donkor joined Rovers, on loan from Oxford United, in August 2024, having already spent time on loan at Oxford City and at Barnet.
He made his Rovers league debut against Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium on the last day of that month. We were 2-0 winners that day and Gatlin became the 1,018th player to make his Rovers league debut.
Going into the final game of the season, at Blackpool, he had scored three goals in 27 league games and made another three appearances in cup competitions.
Cap number 1,016 was presented to Ruel Sotiriou who signed for Rovers last summer, from Leyton Orient where he had scored 35 goals in 150 league games.
During his time with the O’s he also enjoyed loan spells with Heybridge Swifts, Leatherhead, Bishop’s Stortford, Chelmsford City, Hampton & Richmond and Dover Athletic.
He missed the opening game of the season and made his league debut in the goalless draw at Rotherham on 17th August 2024 and, going into the final game of the season was top goalscorer for the club with six league goals in his 37 league games.
To date, he has one full cap for Cyprus to his name, but was included in the last international squad for that country, though never added another cap to his name.
Ollie Dewsbury was a late substitute in last season’s FA Cup tie against Whitby Town at The Mem at the age of 15 years and 255 days, meaning he was the second youngest player to represent Rovers in a competitive game.
Earlier this season he enjoyed loan spells with both Yate Town and Taunton Town and won his first cap for Wales at U-17 level last September, having already played for his country at U-15 and U-16 levels.
He made his league debut for Rovers when going on as a substitute against Huddersfield Town at The Mem on 8th March this year. Four more substitute appearances have followed and the 1,025th, and latest, player to represent the club in the league who now awaits his first start and first goal!