00:00Bristol City have confirmed that Rob Atkinson has extended his stay at Ashtongate by signing a new contract.
00:08Atkinson himself has described the previous couple of years as some of the hardest he has experienced, but sees this as a fresh start.
00:16Really good. It seemed to take its time, but really happy to be home and to get the deal done.
00:24It's obviously been a tough couple of years for yourself, so it must feel extra special to get this sorted.
00:28Yeah, it's been honestly some of the hardest times I've had to endure, not only as a footballer, but off the pitch as well.
00:37So to sort of see the back of that and I kind of see this as like a fresh start almost, it helps that there's a new manager coming in.
00:46So it's all going to hopefully come together for me.
00:49It's been not the most productive of times for me, for Bristol City, but I'm looking to rekindle it and start it again almost.
00:59I keep getting told it. New signing, he's here. And it does feel like I'm a new signing, ultimately. And hopefully I can have that sort of effect.
01:09And Bristol Rovers have announced the signing of Jack Sparks to the gas.
01:13Yeah, really happy as soon as I heard of the interest. I couldn't wait to kind of get started. Spoke to the gaffer. That was last week. So as soon as I spoke to him, it was, yeah, couldn't wait to get going.
01:26You just mentioned talking to Darren, the head coach. How did those conversations go?
01:29But just how he seen me in what formation and how he wanted me to play really matched with how I like to play. That's why it was kind of a no-brainer and I wanted to get it done as soon as possible.
01:41What attracted you to this project here at Bristol Rovers at this time?
01:45Well, having spoken to Daryl, he said, you know, we want to bounce straight back up and become an established league one side, which, you know, for me, Rovers is, that's what it should be.
01:55So speaking to him, it was, yeah, I've kind of really liked to come and got to come, I think, because it's such a good project.
02:03And speaking about talking to people here at the club, you've spoken to Ricky Martin, the director of football as well. How did those conversations go?
02:08That was good. And obviously spoke to Ricky when I first come in and he outlined kind of what Daryl outlined.
