Bristol Rovers is delighted to announce the signing of Romaine Sawyers.
Midfielder Sawyers is the Club's first signing of the January transfer window and has penned a contract with the Gas until the end of the season.
The 33-year-old departed AFC Wimbledon at the start of the year following the expiration of a short-term deal, during which time he scored once in four games in Sky Bet League Two.
Sawyers, who will wear the No14 at Bristol Rovers, brings extensive EFL Championship and League One experience to The Memorial Stadium and is looking forward to getting down to work with his new team.
“It’s great to be here,” Sawyers said. “I appreciate the opportunity that the Club and the gaffer have given me, and I really want to repay that faith by putting in good performances between now and the end of the season.
“The conversations I’ve had with the head coach and with George Friend have been really positive. First and foremost, I’ve felt very wanted and that’s such a big thing for me at this stage of my career. I want to play as many games as I can between now and the end of the season so feeling wanted is a great start.
“It’s great to be at the Club and I’m looking forward to playing in front of the Bristol Rovers fans at The Mem. We’ve got an amazing game this weekend, away at Ipswich Town in the FA Cup, which is a really tasty first match for me to get my teeth into. I can’t wait to get going.”
Head coach Iñigo Calderón welcomed Sawyers to Bristol Rovers and believes the 33-year-old will bring steel and maturity to the side.
“We are pleased to welcome Romaine to Bristol Rovers,” he said. “Romaine’s qualities are known across the EFL and he has shown consistently what a fantastic player he is. He brings not only his ability but also significant experience to our squad.
“Romaine will be a great addition to the team and we are excited to have him with us at the Club.”
Born in Birmingham, Sawyers graduated from West Bromwich Albion's Academy before gaining senior experience with loans to Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town and Walsall.
The midfielder joined the Saddlers permanently in 2013, making 132 appearances and scoring 16 goals across three seasons in League One.
Sawyers departed for Championship team Brentford in 2016, with Bees manager Dean Smith signing him for the second time after bringing him to Walsall. He was a constant figure, making 127 league appearances in three years, was named their Players Player of the Year for the 2017-18 campaign and was named Club Captain by Thomas Frank.
Sawyers returned to his boyhood club, West Brom, in 2019 and made 43 appearances in the 2019-20 campaign, where the Baggies gained automatic promotion to the Premier League.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis international played for West Brom in the Premier League before being loaned to Stoke City for the 2021-2022 campaign. Sawyers then departed permanently for Cardiff City in 2022, where he made 39 appearances in the Championship before joining Wimbledon on a short-term deal in December 2024.
At international level, Sawyers has played 49 times for Saint Kitts and Nevis, scoring seven goals.
Everyone at Bristol Rovers would like to welcome Romaine to the Club and wish him every success in the Blue-and-White Quarters.
