Latest news with #AlfieKilgour
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Kilgour rejoins Bristol Rovers as Wilson leaves
Bristol Rovers have re-signed defender Alfie Kilgour on a free transfer following his release from Mansfield Town. The news comes as central-back James Wilson leaves the club by mutual consent. Kilgour, 27, joined the Stags from Rovers in January 2023 but much of his time at the club was disrupted by long-term injury after rupturing his Achilles tendon the summer after he made 46 appearances for Mansfield in total, with 17 during the last campaign awhen he was in and out of the Bath-born centre-half joined Bristol Rovers aged seven and went on to play 118 games after progressing from the academy to the first previously worked with boss Darrell Clarke during his first spell at the club. "It feels absolutely amazing to be back," Kilgour told the club website."I class Bristol Rovers as my home, so it's good to be back home for sure. "It's a fresh start and it is new beginnings, and some might even say there is a bit of unfinished business."Head coach Clarke added: "It was a little under 10 years ago that I included Alfie in a Rovers squad for the first time, while he was still with our Under 18s."He has developed into an excellent player who still has room to get even better, and I am excited that he has come home, and we have the chance to work together again." Wilson's departure follows a decision by the club to trigger a one-year extension in his contract last 36-year-old, who won a cap for Wales in 2013, played 80 times for Rovers after arriving from Plymouth Argyle in started all 46 of the club's League One matches last season and scored three goals for the club over his two-year spell. "Everyone at Bristol Rovers would like to thank James for all his efforts during his time with the Gas and wishes him well in his future career," a club statement read.
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Loan 'would have suited' Kilgour, says Stags boss
Mansfield were keen to let Alfie Kilgour go out on loan last month as part of the defender's recovery from long-term injury, manager Nigel Clough has missed more than a year after rupturing his Achilles tendon and, despite returning to action in October, has been in and out of the Stags' side in recent 26-year-old was omitted altogether for Saturday's 3-3 draw at Blackpool, when Clough's side halted their run of six consecutive League One defeats."There were things happening in January, a chance of him going somewhere which I think personally would have suited him," the Mansfield boss told BBC Radio Nottingham. "That didn't quite happen."I think since the initial high after he came back, he's struggled a little bit and we're not in a position where we can put him out there every single week when he's making mistakes, so he gets through it and plays regularly."It's been such an up-and-down 18 months or so for him. The effect it can have on your mental health and everything is quite significant."He'll be in and around the squad (at home to Lincoln on Tuesday) and we'll see how he's doing. We'll continue to look after him and support him as best we can and I think he'll play a part between now and the end of the season."Despite surrendering a 3-1 advantage during the final 20 minutes at Bloomfield Road, the Stags boss is confident his side's positive approach will enable them to build on that point and arrest their slide down the table."From day one, we've tried to be on the front foot and have a go at teams, home and away – which I think shows in the number of goals we've scored away from home over the last two or three seasons," Clough added."We just want them to keep playing in the same vein. This is the potential we've got, we've done it earlier in the season and we've got to do it a little more between now and May."
BBC News
31-01-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Fit-again Kilgour had to dig deep in dark times
It was in the 12th minute of Mansfield Town's trip to Doncaster Rovers back in August 2023 when defender Alfie Kilgour climbed highest to head the ball against the post at the Eco-Power than 60 seconds later, as the 26-year old got back into his defensive position, he ruptured his Achilles tendon, immediately ending his season within days of it Stags captain left the field on a stretcher. Dad Mike, who was at the game, was the one that had to help him climb into the shower later that night. By the next morning, Stags boss Nigel Clough had confirmed the defender would need surgery that would rule him out for over a rehabilitation meant he would miss 14 months of first-team football, including a historic promotion which would see Mansfield playing in the third tier for the first time in 21 admits to struggling with feelings of lost purpose during his recovery."I'm unable to do my job," he told BBC Radio Nottingham. "You still get paid for doing nothing while sat at home on the sofa, which isn't me. I'm a competitor who loves to play football." He signed a new contract at The One Call Stadium in January 2024 targeting a comeback within a day finally arrived on 5 October, 2024. Mansfield were leading 2-0 at home to Blackpool in League One, when Kilgour came on as a substitute in the 88th minute for his first appearance since that was little more than a late cameo as he was thrust forward into an unfamiliar position, but it remains a moment he says he will remember for the rest of his life."I'd been training for a couple of weeks but to get chucked on up front was a surprise," he said."The reception I got from the fans was amazing, to have that feeling of playing again after 14 months out was very special."It came following a lengthy and lonely spell away from the pitch. Kilgour's surgery was followed by rehabilitation and a mental battle to re-build the confidence to play again."In those dark times you do learn a lot about yourself, you have to dig deep and think about the end goal." Kilgour added."Every time I was in a gym session by myself, learning to walk again or struggling upstairs, I did it to give me confidence and get rid of any doubts that I may have had about coming back."The defender has since made 10 further appearances for Mansfield in League One, where the the Stags sit in 12th in the table after 26 26-year old says his time on the sidelines gave him a new perspective on football and life in general."I don't take any day for granted because I know my dad is on a building site at 7 o'clock in the morning while I'm running around on a football pitch with my mates," he said. "I definitely appreciate it more now."
