Bristol Rovers have signed Richie Smallwood from Tranmere Rovers on a permanent one-year deal. The midfielder had been on loan at the Memorial Stadium since January, appearing 14 times for the Pirates in League Two. Richie Smallwood joined Bristol Rovers on loan from Tranmere in January and has now signed a permanent deal with the club. Manager Steve Evans added: "Gasheads need no introduction to Richie on the back of what was a very impressive loan with us. His experience and quality were clear for Rovers in the last few months, and I'm delighted he's signed to be with us permanently next season." Richie Smallwood, 35, began his career at Middlesborough before moving to Rotherham, where he scored the winning penalty in a play-off final shootout against Leyton Orient in 2014 to secure promotion to the Championship. A loan spell at Scunthorpe followed before he helped Blackburn secure a return to the second tier in 2017-18. He then achieved the same feat with Hull in 2020-21, before moving on to Bradford City and then Tranmere. In total he has made 521 appearances in the EFL.