Bristol Rovers massively hit the jackpot with £200,000 star and these five others | OneFootball

Attempting to uncovering the greatest transfers of the past two decades, this article takes a nostalgic dive into when Rovers got it right.

Bristol Rovers have had a mixed bag of a 21st century thus far. While the full picture spells humdrum underachievers, the club have enjoyed some enviable and near-unbelievable highs. Success has been sporadic but on an individual level, they have unearthed more than their fair share of top-quality talent.

Attempting to uncover, in no particular order, the six greatest transfers of the past two decades, FLW takes a nostalgic dive into when Rovers got it very, very right.

Note these are not based on net profit or any objective metric, but rather the overall success of their tenure relative to what was expected of them upon arrival.

Steve Elliott

A player's legacy is perhaps most telling by their reception upon return. Having left the club four years prior, in 2014, A 35-year-old Steve Elliot walked out onto the Memorial Stadium pitch for the final time, as captain for the visitors, Cheltenham Town.

What transpired, rather beautifully, was near 90 minutes of both sets of fans chanting "We've got Steve Elliott, he's f***ing brilliant", such is the fond memory of this all-action centre-back.

Elliott was a perfect embodiment of an EFL fan-favourite. Fearless, committed, and willing to put everything on the line.

He arrived from Blackpool in 2004, possessing an impressive footballing CV; 46 Premier League appearances for Derby, as well as a handful of England U21 caps.

Making over 200 appearances for the Gas, his crowning achievement was being an ever-present in the now iconic 2006-07 season that saw Rovers reach both the EFL Trophy and League Two playoff final.

Elliott played in both matches at Wembley, winning the latter, and continued to shine in the third tier. His departure in 2010 would be where his overall impact on the squad was felt, as Rovers were relegated the following year.

Rickie Lambert

While he will be better known for his time on the South Coast, Rickie Lambert remains an absolute icon on Gloucester Road.

A late bloomer, Lambert went from working in a beetroot factory to being the top scorer of League Two in less than four years, as in 2005-06 he netted 22 times for a mediocre Rochdale side.

These numbers convinced Rovers to sign the 24-year-old for £200,000, an incredibly sizable fee for an intra-fourth-tier move back then.

This may, however, have proved to have been the greatest piece of business the club have ever produced, as Lambert provided the club with 59 goals in three years and countless lasting memories.

Highlights include a winner against Bristol City in the EFL Trophy semi-finals, which remains the club's most recent victory over their arch-rivals, and a free-kick versus Southampton that sent the Gas into the quarter-final stage of the FA Cup.

His 29 goals in 2008-09 earned him the Golden Boot in that season's League One, enough to convince Southampton to fork out £1m for the Scouse striker, a 500% return on their initial investment.

In his pomp, he was nothing short of the perfect EFL forward, which is why he remains the only man to have won the Golden Boot in all three divisions in the modern Football League.

Lambert went on to score 30 times in the Premier League, once in the Champions League, and even three times for England. Now retired, he is undoubtedly Rovers' greatest alumnus of the 21st century.

Lee Brown

As Rovers prepared for life in League Two, a tumultuous 2011-12 season saw Paul Buckle bring in an eye-watering 24 new players into the squad.

While even the club's historian would struggle to name half the men on that list, there was one man who every Gashead now knows without fail, Lee Brown.

The left-back arrived for free and with little fanfare, having been released by then-Premier League QPR, after playing just once for the West London club.

Brown would collect 321 appearances for the Pirates across three divisions, and while he wasn't always perfect, particularly during the club's relegation the Conference in 2014, his loyalty and legacy will be remembered for decades, if not for one particular moment...

In what is League Two's greatest equivalent of the 'Aguero' moment, Bristol Rovers needed a win against Dagenham and Redbridge to secure automatic promotion on the final day. With the score at 1-1, and Matty Taylor hitting the post in the 92nd minute, Brown arrived late to prod the ball into an empty net, sending Rovers back to League One, the task he was originally brought in to achieve.

Even without this moment, Brown makes it onto this list. A terrific crosser of the ball, with an eye for a set piece, Brown secured his position at the Mem for the entirety of his seven-year stay.

Billy Bodin

The other player who scored on that fateful Dagenham day, Billy Bodin was signed in 2015 by Darrell Clarke to help upon their return to League Two.

What followed, was one of the most impressive individual tenures in recent memory at the club. The Welshman possessed a rare combination of attributes, with a poacher's finishing ability, and near-hypnotic dribbling, all the while being one of the greatest long-shot specialists ever seen at the Mem.

Bodin collected 50 goals and assists in 105 appearances for the Gas, though the raw numbers don't quite do justice to the beauty of these contributions, a truly special player.

Aaron Collins

A man who, quite simply, won the League One player of the season award in a Bristol Rovers side that finished 17th.

A then 24-year-old Aaron Collins joined the Rovers on a free in 2021, making the short trip from Gloucestershire-based Forest Green Rovers.

Having already proved with his old club that he can do it at League Two level, including scoring in the play-offs, Collins' goalscoring prowess became a pivotal part of the near-biblical promotion of 2022.

It was the following campaign where Collins would truly shine, however, as he was involved in 27 goals across the 2022/23 league season, 46% of Rovers' overall tally. It is completely reasonable to suggest that without Collins, Joey Barton's side would have been straight back down to League Two.

His third season began a little more understated, though in February 2024, Collins was sold to Bolton Wanderers for £750,000, pure profit on the initial investment.

Elliot Anderson

Never fall in love with a loan signing.

It may sound ridiculous to finish this list with a player who only played 21 times for the club, but Elliot Anderson's short contribution was truly something to behold.

Arriving in late January 2022 thanks to Joey Barton's ongoing friendship with Shola Ameobi, Newcastle United's loan coordinator. The highly-rated attacking midfielder had already featured, albeit briefly, for the Magpies' first team.

Seemingly a coup from the off, it would soon become abundantly clear that the playmaker was, quite simply, too good for League Two.

Rovers found themselves in 12th place upon his arrival, having admittedly found some form, but still looking unlikely for promotion.

Along with the likes of the aforementioned Collins, the now-Nottingham Forest man proved the missing link in the Pirates' attack, relentlessly manipulating the space around him, finding gaps where there seemingly were none.

Aside from the overall progressive domination that the 19-year-old provided, he also scored in five of the club's final six games of the season, including late winners against Salford and Rochdale, as well as that goal against Scunthorpe to complete the miracle.

His £35 million price tag turned several heads in the summer, though it didn't surprise the blue half of Bristol one bit, as they knew exactly how much their temporary star boy was worth.