"Up the Gas" - Ex-Bristol City star Sammie Szmodics reacts to new Bristol Rovers transfer | OneFootball

Former Bristol City forward Sammie Szmodics has reacted to Bristol Rovers' new signing on social media.

Bristol Rovers have signed former Bristol City defender Taylor Moore on a free transfer.

The Gas have had a busy start to the summer transfer window, with seven new signings already through the door.

Rovers' newest addition, Taylor Moore, joined the club on a free transfer after leaving French club Valenciennes earlier this year.

The centre-back used to play for Bristol City, alongside current Blackburn Rovers forward Sammie Szmodics.

Moore is a shrewd signing for the Gas

Moore should prove to be a good addition for Rovers, as the defender has 48 Championship appearances under his belt as well as having played 103 games in the third tier.

The 27-year-old was available on a free transfer after being 'dismissed' by Valenciennes towards the end of last season. He played 22 games for the French club after joining last summer, before he departed following an incident in which he hit a supporter during a reserve team match against Lille.

He will hope that he can put that behind him after arriving at The Memorial Stadium, and his experience should stand him in good stead ahead of his return to English football.

Moore joined Bristol City from Lens for a fee of around £1.5m in 2016, although his career is yet to really hit the heights that were predicted of him when he made the move to Ashton Gate. A fresh start with the Gas could be just what Moore needs to kick-start his career.

Blackburn star Szmodics played with Moore during his brief spell at Bristol City during the 2019/20 campaign.

He made just four appearances for the Robins and failed to score a goal for the club before he joined Peterborough United in 2020. The 28-year-old later moved to Blackburn, where he won the Golden Boot in the Championship last season.

Szmodics showed support for the rivals of his former club when he posted Moore on his Instagram story, after the defender had shared the news of his move on social media.

He wrote: "Up the gas

Love it mate @taylord_moore"

It seems as though Szmodics did not buy into the rivalry during his short time at Ashton Gate.

Moore spent seven seasons at Bristol City

Moore has signed for Rovers despite the fact that he spent seven seasons playing for rivals Bristol City.

The defender played 60 times for the Robins during his time at the club, during which he was sent on loan six times to the likes of Bury, Southend United and Heart of Midlothian.

His past allegiances have clearly had no impact on his choice of club, as he has made the move to join boss Matt Taylor at the Memorial Stadium, who was also a central defender during his playing days.

Only four sides let in more goals in League One than the 68 Rovers conceded last season, and three of them were relegated, so Taylor will hope that Moore can help solve their defensive issues next season.

The Gas will be looking to build on their 15th place finish in the third tier last season, as Taylor continues to make additions to his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.