Romaine Sawyers is driven to repay the faith shown in him at Bristol Rovers.
Sawyers became the Club’s first signing of the January transfer window on Wednesday when the 33-year-old penned a deal with the Gas until the end of the season.
The experienced midfielder boasts an exceptional playing record across the EFL in the Sky Bet Championship and Sky Bet League One, and Sawyers is determined to hit the ground running in the Blue-and-White Quarters.
Having spent a month in League Two with AFC Wimbledon, Sawyers is ready to get down to work at The Memorial Stadium.
“It’s great to be here,” he 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.”
Sawyers’ playing career includes productive spells with the likes of Brentford, West Bromwich Albion, Walsall and Cardiff City, and Rovers’ new No14 is eager for similar success with the Gas.
Positive conversations with Director Of Football George Friend and Head Coach Iñigo Calderón have shown Sawyers just how important he can be to this team.
“The conversations I’ve had with the head coach and with George have been really positive,” he continued. “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.
“I think the gaffer’s career shows that he sees football in the same way I do as well, which is very exciting. Hopefully I can come in and help the boys, and help a shift towards getting the ball on the ground and playing attacking football. I think the quality of players we have here allows us to do that, and I hope I can align with that plan.”
In a squad packed with youthful enthusiasm, Sawyers is eager to share his years of knowledge and experience with the younger names in the Rovers team.
“I’m at that age now where I’ve got a lot of collected knowledge from my career and I want to start sharing that and giving it back to the younger players where I can. When I was talking to George and the gaffer about coming here, I asked about what the group was like and I heard all about their youth and enthusiasm, and how much they want to learn.
“I think, for me, it’s a case of coming in and complimenting that alongside players like Scott Sinclair and Chris Martin. We can be the senior heads who share those good habits we’ve learned through our careers.”
With the ink dry on his signature, and plenty of matches to prepare for, Sawyers is ready to get down to work on The Quarters training pitches and help Rovers get points on the board in Sky Bet League One.
Up next is the prospect of a cupset when Rovers take on Premier League team Ipswich Town in the Emirates FA Cup third round, and Sawyers cannot think of a better match to make his first mark in.
“There was a good win at Cambridge United last time out for the boys,” he added. “There are a lot of games left to play now and a lot of points to play for.
“I think, with the gaffer’s enthusiasm and energy and the quality of the group we’ve got here, we have a lot going for us. I’m hoping I can come into the group and help them to collect as many points as possible between now and the end of the season.
“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.”
