Football Tisdale delighted to snap up Cardiff goalkeeper Day on loan
PAUL Tisdale has spoken of his delight after making his first signing as Bristol Rovers manager.
Cardiff City goalkeeper Joe Day has made the short move from south Wales to the Memorial Stadium to become the first January signing for the Gas - and the first new arrival at the club since Tisdale succeeded Ben Garner as manager.
Day has joined Rovers on loan until the end of the 2020-21 season, with the 30-year-old set to provide another option in goal for Tisdale following an Achilles injury sustained by Anssi Jaakkola.
Tisdale has spoken of just how important it was for him to get another goalkeeper on board in January, with Jaakkola sidelined for longer than first expected.
“We are delighted to bring Joe to the football club,” Tisdale said, speaking to the club website.
“The nature of Anssi’s injury makes it difficult to determine a time-frame for his return, so the addition of Joe will give us great competition in the goalkeeping department, with a high volume of games to come over the next few months.
“Joe has an abundance of EFL experience and has shown his credentials as a highly-rated goalkeeper over many years.”
Day made almost 200 appearances for Newport County before joining Cardiff and his previous clubs include Crystal Palace, Rushden & Diamonds and Peterborough United.
Day will wear the number 13 shirt at Bristol Rovers. Day had also been attracting interest from the Pirates’ League One rivals Swindon Town and AFC Wimbledon, where he had a loan spell last season. Day has not featured at all for Neil Harris’ side this season, having struggled for firstteam minutes since he signed from Newport County in 2019, with Alex Smithies and Dillon Phillips ahead of him.
Rovers have also made enquiries for former Blackpool striker Armand Gnanduillet, although he is also reportedly wanted by Championship side Rotherham United.
The Bristol Post understands signing a right-back is a priority in the January transfer window, with Max Ehmer having been used out of position to cover in recent weeks.