Ex-Bristol Rovers player ready to take on galacticos

Rovers will be taking on Real Madrid next month and, although it will be Shamrock Rovers and not the Bristol version, there will be a connection.

Cristiano Ronaldo could make his debut for the Spanish giants against the Irish side after his £80 million transfer from Manchester United.

And he will come up against Shamrock's own record signing – former Bristol Rovers player Gary Twigg.

The Scot made only eight appearances for Bristol Rovers, but played his part in keeping them in the Football League at the end of the 2003-04 season under the management of Ian Atkins. Those Rovers fans able to remember the youngster, who was on loan from Derby County, will recall an attacking left-back.

Twigg, 25, is now a striker and cost Shamrock £25,000 from Brechin City following post-Bristol spells with Airdrie, Oxford and Hamilton Academical. He has scored 14 times in 25 appearances in the League of Ireland this season.

Now he's trying to work out which galactico's shirt to go for on July 20 when the mighty Madrid arrive in Dublin.

Shamrock's ground holds only 3,500 fans but that will be increased to 10,000 by temporary stands.

Twigg said: "It's impossible not to get excited. It's been the talk of the dressing room for weeks now and I just can't believe some of the players we could be up against.

"When we first heard about it Ronaldo hadn't even signed for Real. But even then we had Kaka, Wesley Sneijder and Raul to worry about.

"Everyone knows what Perez is like, he just wants to hoover up the best players in the world and there's talk of Ribery being next.

"So their forward line against us could be Kaka, Ronaldo and Ribery. That's certainly better than Brechin's front three last season!"

Twigg's side will be in the middle of their season and the Scot has warned Madrid that showboating won't be tolerated.

He said: "It's a friendly but our squad is full of winners. Our boys will be taking it deadly serious.

"There's pride at stake and we don't want to be on the end of a drubbing. We'll look on it as a chance to prove ourselves against one of the best club sides in the world. I think if Ronaldo and Kaka come here for a prance about and an easy game they are in for a shock."