Bristol Rovers is delighted to announce the signing of striker Mees Rijks from Eliteserien side Vålerenga Fotball for an undisclosed fee.
Forward Rijks has put pen to paper on a contract until 2028 with the Gas, with an option to extend for a further season, and will wear the No35 shirt in the blue-and-white quarters.
The 22-year-old is Rovers’ sixth signing of the January transfer window, following Ryan De Havilland, Kofi Balmer, Kane Thompson-Sommers, Riley Harbottle and Yusuf Akhimrich in moving to The Memorial Stadium.
"It feels great to be here at Bristol Rovers,” Rijks said. “For me, it was an easy decision. I love English football first and foremost; it’s a big city and Bristol Rovers is a big Club with a lot of history. There is a lot of passion involved and I love that.
"From the conversations with the gaffer, I can see there's a really clear vision for the team and what's expected of me. I feel ready. I'm really excited and I can't wait to get going."
Head Coach Steve Evans welcomed the striker to Bristol Rovers, saying: "We’re delighted to welcome Mees Rijks to the squad. He’s a talented and physical striker with a natural eye for goal, good movement off the ball, and the work ethic to make an immediate impact.
“He is a positive lad too and I am sure he will endear himself to our fans straightaway with his tenacity and efforts. I look forward to helping him develop and become a key player for us.”
Director Of Football Ricky Martin said: "We’re pleased to secure the signing of Mees Rijks. His transfer to Bristol Rovers is the result of thorough work done by our scouting and recruitment departments and I'd like to thank all involved across the Club for their efforts in identifying and securing Mees' signature.
"Mees is not just a talented forward who has shown a keen eye for goal, but he is a personable and coachable young player with real potential to develop and become even better. I look forward to seeing him progress with us here at Bristol Rovers."
Born in Amstelveen in March 2003, Rijks played as a youngster with FC Abcoude and Amsterdamsche FC before signing up at the FC Utrecht academy. He penned his first professional contact at 16 and made his debut for the reserve team in the Eerste Divisie in March 2021.
Impressing for Jong FC Utrecht, the attacker earned his senior debut as a substitute in the Eredivisie, featuring against PSV Eindhoven in March 2022.
Rijks completed a transfer to Norwegian side Vålerenga Fotball in February 2024 and scored 15 goals in all competitions, including four goals in an 8-0 win over Sandnes Ulf, helping the side achieve promotion back to the Eliteserien at the first time of asking.
The attacker made 14 appearances in the Norwegian top flight in 2025, before joining De Graafschap, making five outings in the Dutch second division.
Everyone at Bristol Rovers would like to warmly welcome Mees to the Club and wishes him every success in his career with the Gas.
