Bristol Rovers found diamond in scattergun summer that was sold to Middlesbrough for £350k | OneFootball

Something of a luxury player in a tumultuous era for the Pirates, his performances on the pitch may have been lost in the fog of what followed.

When a club brings in 17 players during a single transfer window, the law of averages dictates that at least one of them must be a success. For Bristol Rovers, it was Mustapha Carayol.

As the Gas prepared for life in League Two in the summer of 2011, supporters were introduced to what was practically an entirely new squad, as incoming head coach Paul Buckle unapologetically cleared house following relegation.

Of the eleven that started their opening fourth-tier fixture, a televised tie at EFL debutantes AFC Wimbledon, ten were making debuts, with only Byron Anthony surviving the purge.

With Gasheads hurriedly memorising names and numbers, it was to be a substitute on the day; Carayol, who would become the most recognisable name at the Mem come May.

Carayol, who today boasts well over a century of Championship appearances, was an absolute delight in his solitary season on Gloucester Road.

Something of a luxury player in a tumultuous era for the Pirates, his performances on the pitch may have been lost in the fog of what followed.

However, snapped up by Championship Boro just one season on for £350,000, the profit alone dictates that the Gambian remains one of the greatest 'one-season wonders' in the side's modern history.

Carayol's move to Bristol Rovers

Having been relegated in May 2011, under the temporary leadership of player-manager Stuart Campbell, Rovers sought new management in the form of a man who had earned his stripes at League Two level.

Torquay United boss Buckle had recently taken the Devonshire side to within a hair's breadth of third-tier promotion, losing 1-0 to Stevenage in the play-off final.

Rovers snatched Buckle from their South West rivals, and seemingly gave him the complete authority of transfer dealings, as a ludicrously busy window saw the arrival of five former Torquay men, Scott Bevan, Craig Stanley, Chris Zebroski, Scott Rendell, and finally Carayol.

Carayol was actually signed from Lincoln City, though played a supporting role in the Gulls' promotion from the Conference in 2009, and with Buckle well aware of his potential he joined Rovers in mid June.

Mustapha Carayol, a rare gem in a forgettable campaign.

Carayol, or 'Muzzy' as he was known, was something of a luxury player in a squad that were struggling to do the basics. His breathtaking technical ability, combined with the confidence to show it off, made him stick out like a sore thumb among a group that largely struggled with the basics.

Moving to England aged six, the winger grew up in Peckham, where he would hone his street-footballer-esque profile at the Damilola Youth Centre.

He would develop a great friendship with former Crystal Palace and Everton winger Yannick Bolasie, a man who may best serve as a comparison to Carayol to the layman, both possessing an effortlessly audacious dribbling ability that made the professional game feel like it were a casual five-a-side.

Ironically, or perhaps intentionally, the pair both spent the same solitary season in Bristol, with Bolasie signing for City just one week prior.

Carayol would not establish himself as a starter until November, by which time Buckle was already in hot water, as his promotion favourites were languishing near the relegation zone thanks to a disjointed squad that simply could not gel. The wideman's exciting and aggressive attacking performances, particularly in the early rounds of the FA Cup, soon became the only thing worth admission at the Mem at that time.

Starting the New Year in 19th place, the disgraced Buckle was relieved of his duties on January 3rd, six months and 21 signings after his arrival. While Buckle had hand-crafted Carayol's arrival at the Mem, it would be his next head coach, former Newcastle and Scotland striker Mark McGhee, who would truly get the best out of Muzzy.

Although it was too late for a promotion push, McGhee produced a consistency in performance that saw them finally emulate their expectations as one of the top sides in the division. Carayol was imperative to this change in fortune, as he provided crucial goals against AFC Wimbledon and Gillingham, as well as an assist in a 1-0 win over Southend.

Such was the confidence of the winger at this time, he would regularly pull off moves that a Memorial Stadium crowd have likely never seen before, or since. Including, but not limited to, scoring innocuously from 40 yards.

The quality he began producing, while not emphatically reflected on the stat sheet, unsurprisingly caught the attention of several Championship sides. After much negotiating, the then-23-year-old signed for Boro on a three-year deal in early August. While disheartening for Gasheads who had lost what was undoubtedly their best player, the £350,000 price tag made it slightly easier to stomach.

From his first penalty-earning mazy run in pre-season versus Inverness to his hat-trick of assists on his final home appearance, Carayol was simply electrifying in his - now-mythical - first and final Rovers campaign.