Kofi Balmer is delighted to have joined Bristol Rovers and is ready to give 100 per cent in the blue-and-white quarters.
The defender is the Pirates' second addition of the January transfer window after midfielder Ryan de Havilland, signing on loan from Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell on a loan deal until the 2025/26 season.
With experience in Northern Ireland and Scotland, the 25-year-old is back in the EFL, where he previously had experience with Port Vale and AFC Wimbledon and is looking to enjoy his football once again.
Speaking to BRTV for the first time since joining the Club, Balmer explained why Rovers was the right choice for him and is excited to play in front of the Gasheads at The Memorial Stadium.
So, Kofi. First of all, welcome to Bristol Rovers. How does it feel to be here?
"It's great to join Bristol Rovers. I came down and saw the training facilities, and I was impressed. They’re top quality and meeting all of the lads was good. They’re a great bunch of lads, they’re all welcoming, and hopefully I'll learn a lot from the experience. Probably the boys who have been here longer than I have as well.
And for you, what made you know that Bristol Rovers was the right step for you?
"I think obviously being asked to come down and see the facilities was good for me because they’re showing me that this is what they have to provide. I think as well, I’ve played with an ex-player of Bristol Rovers – Sam Nicholson – he spoke to me and said it was a great club and it’s always a great group of lads.
"The support as well is always fantastic, and I think as well with the manager, I’ve played against him and the teams that he’s managed. They are hard to play against, so to have the opportunity to be involved in that sort of way of playing was something I was dreaming of."
You mentioned Steve Evans there. What have your early conversations with him been like?
"They have been good. He's knowledgeable and someone that I can learn a lot from, and he can help me develop as a person and a player. So I’m looking forward to it."
You’ve played in Northern Ireland and Scotland as well. What have you learned from those two different experiences?
"Well, when I was in Northern Ireland, for the most part, it was part-time, and then I made the move to full-time in Northern Ireland, and it was a lot. Very physical, and it was quick, but then up in Scotland, it’s similar to Northern Ireland.
"It's very physical, and that bit quicker, and you have a lot of quality, more so coming in now, but I’ve played in League One, League Two, I’ve had little spells there, and the difference is that it’s a hundred miles an hour. The physicality is probably a lot more than the other leagues that I’ve played in."
And for the fans, what style of play would you say you are?
"I’d say I can be aggressive. I do like the ball at my feet, but first and foremost, I’m a defender. So, I’ll just give a hundred per cent, I’ll try my best all of the time and if people haven’t been told, I do have a very long throw. I can help defensively, get up the pitch and cause a bit of carnage in the box if I take a throw-in."
From your point of view, what are your aims for the season?
"Just play as much as possible and just get back to enjoying it again. You know, just showing people what I can do and getting my head down working hard."
You’re coming in quite a busy January period. How excited are you just to get going straight away?
"I think, like any footballer, you just want to play games, so coming in in a busy period, you can’t complain. Everyone is just going to get used, so you just have to be ready when you get your chance and then, all being well, take your chance."
And finally, how excited are you to meet the Gasheads as well?
"I’ve had a couple of run-ins with them before. I’ve played a couple of games at the stadium, and the support, as an away player, was brilliant, the noise and that. So, to be finally on the home side of it and get to hear them and obviously in their numbers, it’ll be great."
