Before the end of the season representatives of the Supporters Club, Clive Marshall and Keith Brookman, along with Chairman of the Former Players Association Tony Mills, were invited to The Quarters to present what have become known as legacy caps to a number of the first team squad.
Today we feature two players who received their caps on that occasion, namely Mees Rijks and Ryan de Havilland.
Mees Rijks arrived at the club on 23rd January and made his league debut when going on as a second half substitute in our match at MK Dons just four days later.
Rijks had been on Utrecht’s books for almost a decade, playing the final eight minutes of a top tier game which was lost at home to PSV Eindhoven 1-0 in March 2022, when he had replaced Joris van Overeem as a substitute.
He had also scored 20 times in 77 (+15) games with Jong Utrecht, effectively their youth side, his first appearance coming as a half time substitute for Jeredy Hilterman in a 1-0 defeat to Maastricht in March 2021 and his first goal coming two months later in a 2-2 draw at Eindhoven.
Despite receiving a red card in a 4-1 defeat at Roda in October 2022, he had scored twice in a fixture against Eindhoven in December 2023. Club form had earned international recognition, playing twice in September 2019 for the Netherlands U-17 side against France, and then appearing 7 (+2) times for his country at U-19 level, scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Slovakia in the Stadion Dolná Ždaňa in October 2021. He appeared in 2022 European Championship qualifiers at U-19 level against Moldova, Cyprus and Israel.
Having moved to Norway, Rijks made his Vålerenga début against Fredrikstad in February 2024, scored his first goal in a 3-1 defeat to Stabaek that April and scored four times, twice in each half, in an 8-0 defeat of Sandnes that June.
He also played in five matches for Vålerenga’s second string side, scoring four goals, including two in the last ten minutes, of a 6-4 win at Follo in August 2024. However, a 2-0 defeat at Cambuur proved to be the only start of his loan spell at De Graafschap and, sent to train with the youth side and unsuccessful on a trial in Italian football with Brescia, Rijks found himself on the way to The Mem to join Steve Evans’ side.
Mees ended the season with one goal from his 13 league appearances, that strike coming in the 3-1 win against Crawley Town, at The Mem, on 11th April. After that match he said; ‘It was a great feeling to get my first goal. I am really happy, and I’m really proud. I just saw the ball come to Joel Senior, and I just hoped that he would give it to me, and he did. It was very generous, and I nicked it in. It looked a bit scrappy, and I was really happy.
‘It was the first time celebrating in front of the fans and hopefully, there are many more to come. We train a lot, and as a striker, you want to score, you want to have your goals. I’m happy to end the dry spell.’
Having settled in following his move, and with a full pre season under his belt, we’re certain that we will see just how effective he can be in our side next season.
25 year old midfielder Ryan de Havilland arrived at The Mem from Peterborough United early in the January transfer window and made his league debut for the club in our 1-0 home defeat against Colchester United on 17th January.
He has the following clubs on his CV; Reading; 2010 Fulham (01/07/2019 professional); 14/12/2019 Metropolitan Police (loan); July 2021 Portsmouth (trial); 26/10/2021 Barnet; 30/11/2021 Hayes and Yeading United (loan); 07/01/2022 Beaconsfield Town (loan); 26/06/2023 Peterborough United [20+30 appearances,3 goals]
A long spell with Barnet had earned him one cap for England ‘C’ in March 2023, and he had scored the only goal of the game on that occasion, netting a rebound after his initial shot had been blocked on the stroke of half time, as Wales were defeated 1-0 at Altrincham.
Unable to make the League side at Craven Cottage, he had played for Fulham in three Football League Trophy ties and in 25 Premier League 2 fixtures, scoring against Stoke City on two occasions, in September 2019 and November 2020.
Four Southern League games on loan for both Met Police and Hayes preceded five with Beaconsfield, and a goal on his début, in a 2-0 win against Dorchester Town. In two years of National League football with Barnet he had scored four times in 56 (+4) matches, featuring in some remarkable games, such as a 7-3 defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge on Good Friday 2022 and a 7-5 loss at Wrexham in October 2022, one highlight being his stunning last gasp volley to defeat Boreham Wood on Boxing Day 2022.
Moving up two divisions in the summer of 2023, he scored against Oxford United, Cambridge United and Mansfield Town, and made substitute appearances against Rovers on two occasions, replacing Jonson Clarke-Harris in September 2023 and playing at The Mem in February 2025.
Posh won consecutive Football League Trophy tournaments and de Havilland was an unused substitute at Wembley, both for the 2-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in 2024 and the 2-0 win against Birmingham City a year later. He had been restricted to just 17 minutes of League action and one Football League Trophy outing during 2025/26, prior to his move to Rovers.
Another player brought in by Steve Evans who helped the side reach the mid table position that had looked so out of reach until the turn of the year. He will surely benefit from a full pre season with Rovers and will be looking forward to being a regular in the side next season.
Photos courtesy Bristol Rovers FC
