Last season a free-agent signing meant frustration for Taylor Moore but this one can be different for Bristol City's young defenders. 

Ashley Williams' arrival was one of the factors in Moore being sent out on loan to Blackpool last January but the signing of Adrian Mariappa should be good news for the development of the 23-year-old and Zak Vyner.

Both have played a key part over the first few months of the season, with Dean Holden placing lots of faith in the young defensive duo, and look to be even more important moving forward with Nathan Baker and Alfie Mawson now sidelined due to injury.

There can be no denying that Holden was short of options at centre-back with captain Tomas Kalas, Moore, and Vyner the only players at that position left in the senior squad.

With that in mind, the arrival of Mariappa makes an awful lot of sense and, importantly, it doesn't have to be a signing that obstructs the development of either of City's up-and-coming centre-backs.

The 34-year-old has a wealth of experience, with north of 150 Premier League appearances and nearly 200 in the Championship under his belt, and that should make him someone that can aid the development of Vyner and Moore – both on the pitch and on the training ground.

Did these 17 Bristol City players ever actually score a league goal for the club?

Not only that, he is a different style of defender to learn from than Kalas. Moore and Vyner have shown they're not afraid to carry the ball out of the backline and look to be expansive with their passing, and the added finesse that Mariappa brings in comparison to Kalas should aid their evolution in that side of the game.

The fear among fans may be that his arrival will limit the opportunities of that duo but the free agent signing looks more likely to come in as an extra body, someone that can freshen up the backline when needed and allow the Robins defenders the rest they will sometimes need to ensure they're consistently at their best.

What we've seen so far from Holden is that he's not afraid to put his trust in young players and signing Mariappa is unlikely to change that, particularly given some of the impressive displays they have put in this term.

A little pessimism following the 34-year-old's arrival would be understandable among the Ashton Gate faithful given the impact the signing of Williams had on opportunities for young players last term but that was under Lee Johnson and Holden's refreshing faith in youth indicates this should be different.