Bristol Rovers means everything to the Gasheads, and Kane Thompson-Sommers is ready to do anything he can to fight for the supporters during his time in the blue-and-white quarters.
The 25-year-old was Rovers' third signing of the January transfer window, moving on loan from fellow Sky Bet League Two side Milton Keynes Dons for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.
The midfielder played 49 times for the Dons across all competitions after signing from National League outfit Halifax Town in August 2024 and will now complete the season with the Gas.
It has been a fast start for Sommers-Thompson at Rovers. Signing last Friday, he started the Gas' fixture against Colchester United and played for just under an hour of the contest. Speaking to BRTV for the first time since joining, the midfielder reflected on his first outing for the Pirates and discussed his reasons for joining the Club.
Kane, welcome to Bristol Rovers Football Club. How does it feel to be here?
“It feels great to be here. It’s a massive Club, it’s a massive city, and I’ve been excited since I had the chance to speak to the gaffer about the opportunity to come and play here. Now that I’m here, I’mjust excited to get going and help the team get to where it needs to get to.”
What made you know that Bristol Rovers was the right step for you?
“When the opportunity came, I had a conversation with the gaffer and with Ricky Martin. I think just from the conversations, and I have played against the Football Club with other clubs, and I know what it’s like to play. I know what the atmosphere is like, I know how much the Club means to the fans, and that was a massive positive as well.
“You want to go to a Club where it means a lot, and I think that Bristol Rovers, from speaking to the manager and speaking to Ricky, I got that impression, and I thought this was the Club that I want to play for.”
You mention different conversations. You have played with former Bristol Rovers players; did you speak to any of them before coming here?
“I had a chat with Ellis Harrison during the week before I came, and he only had good things to say about the Club. I knew the Club is not where they want to be and not where they should be, but it’sabout where they can get to next because that’s about building for the future. I had a few chats, and they spoke very well about the Club, and that really helped me with my decision.”
For the fans, what style of player are you?
“I would say that I am an all-action midfielder. I like to attack, I like to tackle, defend, I love to get on the ball and just try and play forward and be all-action.”
During a busy January, it’s important to hit the ground running. Does it help that you have played plenty of minutes this season?
“Definitely. Sometimes when you haven’t played, it’s tough getting up to speed, but I have been involved this season. I feel good. I feel ready to play, especially after getting some minutes the other day. It’s nice to meet all of the players, get to know them a bit more on the training pitch this week, and now I feel even more prepared to go and affect it on the weekend.”
As a home player, what was it like playing at The Mem?
“When I played my first game on the weekend, you could see from the get-go that the fans were encouraging. Even when I don’t think we were at our best, we were getting encouragement from the crowd, and it’s important because the 12th man can really give players the confidence that they might be lacking at some point.
“Then, it’s obviously down to the players to give the fans something to shout about, and that’s what we’re working hard on the training pitch to try and do in the coming weeks.”
You were signed on Friday and played on Saturday. Did you anticipate getting thrown straight into the team, and what was that like?
“It was a bit of a whirlwind last week. A lot was going on all at once, but it’s football. It's still the same ball, it’s the same pitch, so you can do it. Sometimes it’s a bit difficult when you’re not as close or don’t know the players as well as you possibly could, but that’s what training is for this week, and hopefully, I can perform better in the coming weeks.”
Finally, it is a week of training until the next game. Is this a real chance to meet the team and get used to the city before a game on the weekend?
“It’s important for all of us because you want to get to know how your teammates play so that you can understand them a bit better. It’s also important because the gaffer and his assistant can get their principles across, so that we can all be on the same lines on the weekend and know what we’re trying to achieve and how we’re going to do it, with a bit of direction.
“Training this week will be massively important, and we’ve already started well this week with a couple of days of good sessions on the pitch.”
