Harries ’delighted’ to be working again with Widdrington

FORMER Bristol Rovers defender Cian Harries has signed for National League side Aldershot Town, reuniting the former Wales Under-21 international with ex-Gas director of football Tommy Widdrington.

Harries has signed a one-year deal for the Shots after being released by League Two Swindon Town, where he made just five appearances last season following his exit at the Memorial Stadium after two-and-a-half campaigns in blue and white, including the 2021-22 promotion season.

Harries made 56 appearances for Rovers and scored the first goal of that memorable season in a 2-1 defeat at Mansfield Town.

He was first brought to north Bristol during the 2020 January transfer window, which was the first conducted by Widdrington alongside head coach Ben Garner and the two have briefly crossed paths in their career before at Coventry City.

Although part of the backroom team at the Mem, Widdrington did manage Harries for two matches as caretaker in between Garner’s dismissal and Paul Tisdale’s appointment in November 2020 and then prior to Joey Barton taking the job in February 2021.

“Delighted to get it over the line and get back working with the gaffer, I’m really excited for this season and with this football club. It’s taking steps forward in the right direction and looking up,” Harries told Shots TV. “When I came through at Coventry and left to join Swansea, Tommy had just joined so I didn’t get a chance to work with him there. I signed with Tommy as a technical director at Bristol Rovers and in between managers he took a couple of games and he was absolutely brilliant. We beat Chelsea U21s 4-3 in a belter and we beat Portsmouth 3-1 - both games at the Mem.”