Bristol Rovers completed the signing of Mark Little yesterday, a coup of sorts as they snatched him from recently relegated Championship side Bolton Wanderers.

Little wasn’t a regular for the Trotters, he featured just four times in all competitions, but as he left the club he aimed a parting shot at manager Phil Parkinson.

The 30-year-old has a good footballing background, having previously been promoted out of the third tier with Peterborough and Bristol City. He’s made a bold statement in returning to the other side of the city with Rovers, but it’s certainly a big coup signing by the Gas.

It must be a serious concern for Bolton, as if their supporters didn’t have enough to worry about. They go into the new season facing a points deduction and uncertainty over their future, so to see proven players from this level leave is going to be tough to take.

Little might not have featured much in the Championship, but there is no question at all over his League One pedigree. He’s proven a competent and assured defender during spells with Peterborough and Bristol City and has played most of his football in League One.

That marks him out as one they surely should have worked harder to keep. He understands the division and how it differs to the Championship. The spread of teams is vastly different, the stadiums vary and if anything, it’s as close to the SPFL as any other division.

One week you might be in big grounds such as Portman Road or the Stadium of Light, but then you travel to Rochdale or Accrington for a dose of reality. That takes a certain character, a certain type of player who can adjust quickly to different environments.

Of course, that isn’t the only attribute needed for success, but Little has proven he’s a competent player. Losing him is a blow to Bolton, although their supporters perhaps underestimate how big it might be.

As for Bristol Rovers, they’ve picked up a top-quality player on the cheap, someone who can help drive standards and push them on to the next level. It’ll be a bitter pill for Bolton fans to swallow if the Gas end up above them in the table next season, something that looks increasingly likely.