Rhys Carr said he was ‘energised and excited’ after conversations with Darrell Clarke and Ricky Martin before joining Bristol Rovers as an Assistant Head Coach.
Carr joined the Club alongside Jon Stead, with the pair set to work closely alongside Head Coach Clarke ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The 38-year-old has plenty of experience in English Football. Most recently working at Coventry City, joining the Sky Blues to join Mark Robins’ coaching team before a short spell as the Interim Head Coach, Carr has also worked with Bristol City, Sheffield United and Premier League side Wolves.
Back at the Gas for a second time, Carr discussed his reasons for joining the Pirates, his coaching career to date and his expectations for the upcoming season.
First of all, welcome to Bristol Rovers. How does it feel to be here?
"Really good. I hope the weather is like this every day. If it is, we’re in for a treat, but I’m really happy to be here. It's a Club that we feel like there’s a lot of progress that can come along in the near future. So, I’m really excited to be a part of that."
What made you think that Bristol Rovers was the right next step in your career?
"There were so many different aspects. I think the Club is geared to want to do well this season, for sure. There’s obviously been a lot of change at the Football Club. It feels like a lot of positive change, and you just get a gut feeling for places. Having spoken to Darrell and Ricky, I’ve come away from those conversations feeling quite energised and quite excited about what could come and when the opportunity came to be a part of that, I thought, this is one I want to take."
How positive were those early conversations with Ricky and Darrell?
"They were really good. You’re looking for a chemistry when you go into a new working environment. I knew Ricky a small bit, not a great deal, and I hadn’t met Darrell before on the circuit or anything like that. So, they were new experiences, but quite quickly, I felt that good chemistry with them. I liked what they said about the plans for the Club and what they wanted to do this season, and thought this ticks a lot of boxes. "
Talk us through your coaching career so far and how it has led you to here...
"It’s been a long one. As a young player, I played the game in the Welsh domestic leagues, so didn’t get to the level I wanted to as a player, so quickly turned my mind to coaching. So, I’m a young coach, but I’ve been coaching for a long time now. I’ve been really fortunate to work with good coaches and good managers in really good environments, too, and I have seen what success looks like throughout the EFL into the Premier League and at the international level.
"So, I feel like I’m a young, modern coach who wants to work with players, and I want to help them be better. I really believe that if you improve the players, you improve the team, for sure, but I also believe in the old values and methods around driving people and challenging people. too. I’ve been at a lot of Clubs, and there’s been a lot of positive influences throughout that journey as well, and it brings me here. So, I’m hoping that I can use all of that experience and help the lads here individually and help us be a better team, too."
You have worked with Bristol Rovers before. How has the Club changed since your first spell?
"It wasn’t that long ago when I look back, it was only for a short spell, but even in that short spell and then coming in now and speaking to Ricky and Darrell and looking at the positive changes around this training ground, it’s night and day almost. It’s really exciting. There’s disappointment based on last season, but the last season is gone now. We’ve got a really good opportunity to take this season by the scruff of the neck and get this Club where it should be."
Pre-season is coming up – what do you expect from the players?
“I expect them to work hard. I expect them to want a high challenge and high support. I’ve been fortunate to speak to the manager, speak with Ricky, and I’ve met Jon [Stead] as well. So, we’re all aligned with how we see things working, and I think as a coach, I want to be there to support the players because I think the players need a lot of support to get them to where they want to go because it’s tough on a Saturday in front of thousands trying to do your job and there’s a bunch of other people trying to stop you.
"It is tough and demanding, but we also need to challenge them as well because if the level of support and the level of challenge are not quite right, then we can’t get them at their optimum level of performance, and that’s what we’ll be looking to do."
You mentioned Darrell Clarke and Jon Stead. How important is the alignment for success to happen?
"It’s huge. For me, coming in and having the conversations with the gaffer and having those conversations with Steady, you want to feel that chemistry and that bit of alignment. I think you would be fooling yourself if you came in somewhere and you weren't feeling that.
"So, I felt that quite quickly, and the manager has been very clear on how he wants to work, and he’s been very clear on what the roles and responsibilities are for us as a coaching staff, which is really helpful when you’re coming into somewhere new, and it’s a way that I’ve worked before and a way that I think is the right way to work. So, straight away, it ticks all the boxes."
Finally, how excited are you to get going and see the fans at The Mem?
"I’ve been to games at The Mem, and the atmosphere that the fans can create is fantastic. I think it will be a huge part of what we try to do this season. We’ll be working hard here day in and day out so that when Saturday comes, we can put in positive performances. I know those fans will get behind the Club because they have done it for years up and down the country. So, I’m excited by that, really."
