Bristol Rovers attacker Ruel Sotiriou has this week joined Israeli side Hapoel Jerusalem FC for an undisclosed fee, making him the first of Matt Taylor’s 2024 summer spending spree players to subsequently depart the Gas. He now joins a side that will face Europa League side Maccabi Tel Aviv domestically, having managed six goals and […]
Bristol Rovers attacker Ruel Sotiriou has this week joined Israeli side Hapoel Jerusalem FC for an undisclosed fee, making him the first of Matt Taylor’s 2024 summer spending spree players to subsequently depart the Gas.
He now joins a side that will face Europa League side Maccabi Tel Aviv domestically, having managed six goals and three assists in 61 games in blue and white.
Sotiriou has not been involved in the two matchday squads since New Year’s Day’s 3-0 win against Shrewsbury Town, where he was an unused substitute, and manager Steve Evans had confirmed he was injured amidst rumours of a move away.
Since completing the transfer, suggestion has arisen that reasoning may have been a cover. Alas, on his departure, Evans said: “The football club received an offer and I was asked to give my yes or no to it, did I want to sanction it or not.
“Ruel was happy to go. He was happy to go and have a fresh start. I’ll certainly have a cup of tea with him and a cuddle and a kiss [in the future] and all that stuff because he’s a lovely kid.”
Two summers ago, Sotiriou was brought to BS7 as part of manager Matt Taylor’s squad rebuild for a compensation package from Leyton Orient.
He signed a three year deal, having been Orient’s top scorer with 12 in 2023/24, and there was much promise for the then 23-year-old Cypriot.
Upon signing, he said: “I think it’s clear to see this club is just going to go higher and higher. I want to genuinely work my socks off for the club.”
Sotiriou joined in the same window as Promise Omochere, Shaq Forde, and Isaac Hutchinson – among others – as the AlSaeed ownership aimed to back their manager, having sacked promotion hero Joey Barton just under a year prior.
Though Gasheads were generally excited a the prospect of their new-look attacking setup, at the time, the combination of a pragmatic manager and largely inexperienced, and freshly put together, squad meant Rovers were relegated at the end of April 2025.
It was clear from December 2025 that Rovers were not going to finish the campaign where they wanted, pushing the play-off’s. And after a pitiful 2-0 defeat away to Birmingham City in the middle of the month, Taylor was sacked.
He was replaced by Brighton Academy coach Inigo Calderon, and the Spaniard immediately ignited the young attack, including Sotiriou.
Although the Gas slumped to taking just a single point from the final 30 available, the 24-year-old was somewhat of a leading figure.
Admittedly, Sotiriou managed just a single goal in eight starts in that spell – but it was he and academy graduate Kofi Shaw that gave supporters the most to cheer about during a dismal period.
If a goal was brewing, Sotiriou was likely a driving factor, ending the season again as his club’s top scorer – with six.
Off the back of the drop to League Two, there were summer rumours that the Cypriot has asked to leave the club. Considering he had left his academy club in Leyton Orient to peruse the third tier, it was perhaps an understandable request – but nothing came of it.
Sotiriou therefore began the 25/26 season as a Rovers player; in total, he managed six starts for his 14 League Two appearances, as well as four 90 minutes in his four cup matches.
He leaves now with just a single assist to his name this campaign, and a Fotmob rating of 6.15, across 18 total appearances.
In fairness, the Gas as a whole have of course struggled and currently sit 21st. After an early run of seven unbeaten, things quickly turned sour with club legend Darrell Clarke leaving after a club record 10 successive losses.
Only Fabrizio Cavegn has hit double figures, as the Swiss star sits on a superb 13 strikes this season.
Following lackluster defeat to Barnet Town on December 29, where Sotiriou played 74 minutes and received a 5.8 Fotmob rating, supporters were unhappy with the team’s performance and that of the Cypriot.
The 25-year-old reacted to some criticism from the terrace behind the dugouts on the final whistle, leading to him being dragged away by Tom Lockyer as discussions heated up.
That confrontation will now be the final memory of Gasheads with Sotiriou, with him subsequently being an unused sub against Shrewsbury, and then omitted from the next two matchday squads.
Redemption stories are a good possibility under Evans. Already in his six games, Forde received red and has since appeared reformed and revitalised, while Hutchinson has been recalled from his prosperous loan spell at Cheltenham Town as he looks to begin a new chapter at Rovers.
Evans agreed that Sotiriou’s move benefitted all parties: “I think for him to come away from a fantastic spell at Leyton Orient, he’s had long enough to switch the lights on. It’s not really happened with any form of consistency.”
Both parties now move on with Sotiriou able to have a fresh start closer to Cyprus, and try to relocate the flourish from his Orient days.
Meanwhile the Gas have already added Spurs Academy winger Yusuf Akhamrich, 20, on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
