James Connolly admits his heart was set on a permanent move to Bristol Rovers last season, even before their promotion to League One was confirmed.
The centre-back was a transformative mid-season signing for the Gas, with his January loan move from Cardiff City solidifying Joey Barton's defence as Rovers romped from the bottom half into the top three in a remarkable second half of the campaign.
His brilliant form led to Barton and Gasheads alike being desperate for the newly-capped Wales Under-21 international to return on a permanent basis for a crack at the third tier, and that move was confirmed last week with Rovers agreeing a deal with Cardiff that could be worth £150,000 if add-on clauses are triggered.
