Bristol Rovers midfielder Antony Evans has signed a new long-term contract with the club, the League Two promotion winners have announced.

Evans joined the Gas last summer following his release from German side Paderborn, and played a key role in his side's promotion from the fourth-tier of English football in his first season with the club.

The 23-year-old scored ten goals and provided 12 assists as Bristol Rovers claimed automatic promotion from League Two in dramatic style with their final day 7-0 thrashing of Scunthorpe, a game in which Evans scored twice, before assisting the final, promotion winning goal.

Having only signed a one-year deal with the club last summer, Evans had been due to become a free agent this summer, although that is no longer the case.

It has now been confirmed that the midfielder has put pen to paper on a new three-year deal with Bristol Rovers, securing his future at the Memorial Stadium until the end of the 2024/25 season.

As a result, the 23-year-old looks set to once again play a key role for Bristol Rovers as they look to re-establish themselves in League One in the coming campaign.

The Verdict

This does look like being an excellent piece of business from Bristol Rovers.

Evans was a key player for the Gas in helping them to win promotion last season, and no club ever wants to lose figures who have been as important as he was.

However, the impact he made will surely have attracted plenty of attention in him from elsewhere, heading into a busy summer for many sides.

With that in mind, this new contract feels like something of a statement of intent from the Gas, especially with the length of the deal suggesting that Evans believes this is the right club to take his career in a positive direction.