Bristol Rovers couldn’t wait to get rid of 100-goal Scot despite the hype | OneFootball

Former Celtic forward Derek Riordan arrived with an impressive CV, though left the club after three months, voted their 'worst ever striker'.

As the January transfer window looms, every supporter of an EFL club will be hoping they can tempt a level of talent that exceeds the norm.

However, on the odd occasion that a player does arrive with a suspiciously good CV, history dictates that fans must first ask themselves 'why wasn't anyone else in for them'?

This was the case for Bristol Rovers in 2012, as one such man arrived seemingly overqualified for a stint on Gloucester Road, Scottish international Derek Riordan.

Having scored over one hundred goals north of the border, the former Hibs hero was convinced to the South West of England by fellow countryman Mark McGhee, on an initial twelve-week deal.

What transpired, however, was an anonymous three-month stint that proved to be one of the clubs worst signings in recent memory, if not ever.

Riordan arrived at Bristol Rovers with controversy

Needing cover for the injured Matt Harold, Mark McGhee - extremely well versed in the Scottish game - used his contacts to bring in a man who had been a regular thorn in his side during his time at Motherwell and Aberdeen.

Although his record versus Hibs was strong, McGhee lost on each occasion that Riordan featured. This could have explained why the Glaswegian decided to take a punt on the set-piece specialist, who was struggling to find a club amid legal issues regarding an alleged hate-crime.

The decision, allowing Riordan to represent the club with the trial ongoing, put pressure on McGhee for the forward to be worth the hassle. The decision to bring him in also represented a disappointing stance that the club did not consider his alleged crimes to be serious enough to disregard him entirely, which would have certainly alienated certain corners of the fanbase.

Riordan, voted Rovers' worst ever

Just two days after his arrival, with a winless Gas languishing in 23rd place at the foot of the Football League, Riordan started away to Exeter.

They would win the game 2-1, their first of the season, though the timing of this was perhaps by more luck than judgment, as it would be an ineffective performance from Riordan.

Speaking to Radio Bristol, McGhee was already managing expectations for his countryman.

"He is one of these boys who can be anonymous in the game but pop up with a bit of skill that you're not expecting," stated the Scot.

Unfortunately for the incumbent Rovers gaffer, the above statement was to prove only half-true, as a grand total of twelve Pirates appearances garnered zero goals and zero assists. Having failed to acculturate to his new surroundings, and with his mind clearly on other things, it was glaringly obvious McGhee's calculated risk had not paid off.

Reentering the relegation zone near Christmas, Mark McGhee was relieved of his duties, with Riordan returning to Scotland shortly after, having left the club worse off than when he had arrived.

While it is difficult to find statistical evidence of just how uninspiring the former Celtic man's time at Rovers was, a 2015 poll held by Rovers' forum GasChat concluded that Derek Riordan was the popular vote as the clubs worst striker of all time, with one user stating, "surely no one can disagree with [Riordan]. He had so little interest in this club it was insulting".

So allow this to serve as a cautionary tale this January, as a medium-sized name joining a club down on their luck may seem exciting at first, but then seriously underwhelm.