Ciaran Kelly has undergone talks with Bristol Rovers as he looks for a new club following his Bradford City release.
The Irish defender was one of seven players released by the Bantams following the publication of their retained list, having been knocked down the pecking order following their promotion to League One.
Rovers Enter Talks
While many of his teammates face a wait to find a club before their contracts at Valley Parade officially expire, Kelly may find himself a club before hand, with Bristol Live reporting that League Two outfit Bristol Rovers have made a pitch to the 27-year-old.
It is believed that Kelly, who may be joined by former Bantams teammate Richie Smallwood in the South West following his release from Tranmere Rovers, held face-to-face talks with Gas manager Steve Evans on Tuesday.
The Pirates are not alone in trying to secure Kelly when he hits the free agent market, with two as-yet unnamed sides in League One and League Two also interested in making a move for the former Bohemian FC centre-back.
Playing 24 times for City last season, he struggled for minutes during the back end of the campaign due to injury issues and returned to action for the first time in three months with a cameo appearance on the last day against Exeter City.
Great Move For Gas
Competition at centre-back was arguably one of Bradford City’s great strengths in their debut campaign back in League One, with Curtis Tilt proving to be a revelation and was usually joined by Aden Baldwin and a mix of Joe Wright or Ibou Touray, depending on injuries at wing-back.
That meant there was little place for some of the squad options at Valley Parade, which saw Tom McIntyre’s loan terminated back in January and Neill Byrne loaned out to Doncaster Rovers in the same window.
For Ciaran Kelly, he looked like he might be able to stake his claim in Graham Alexander’s back three, especially over Christmas and New Year, but injury may have ultimately cost him a chance to prove his worth.
Steve Evans is looking to rebuild Bristol Rovers from the ground up after a close shave with relegation, and adding a League One-level defender to his ranks will do wonders to elevate their squad to get themselves into the promotion picture.
Whether they can defeat the League One and League Two sides to his signature remains to be seen, but given the momentum building at the Memorial Stadium, heading there is a sensible option to take.
