Striker signs a short term contract
Bristol Rovers have completed their second signing of the day
Free agent Derek Riordan joins the club on a short term deal until Christmas.
Manager Mark McGhee said: “We are well aware of Derek’s past, however the lad has convinced me that not only does he feel strongly that he is innocent of the recent charges, but that he is looking for a way out of the cycle.
“He sees a move to Bristol Rovers as an opportunity to resurrect his career and experience football in a league he hasn’t played in before.
“This is a boy with a record of scoring goals and making goals and he is a very skilled player.
“He wont necessarily be the hardest working player in the team, but he has great ability from set pieces and can create a goal out of nothing.
“He has a three month contract initially so he can prove himself, but I am sure that he can provide some of the highlights of the season for us.”
The striker, 29, started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003.
He became one of the top young players in the Scottish Premier League, winning the young player of the year awards in 2005.
He signed for Celtic in 2006, but failed to hold down a regular first-team place and returned to Hibernian in 2008.
He left Hibs as a free agent in 2011 and signed for Chinese Super League club Shaanxi Chan-Ba, but the two year contract was mutually terminated after just four months. Riordan then signed for St. Johnstone on a short term contract in March 2012 until the end of the season.
Chairman Nick Higgs said: “Derek comes to us with a fantastic goalscoring record, and we hope that he can come here and continue that.
“If everything works out well we hope he can earn a longer contract with us.”
Derek will wear squad number 27.