Football: Sean Rigg joins Forest Green on loan from Bristol Rovers (From Gazette Series)

Football: Sean Rigg joins Forest Green on loan from Bristol Rovers

1:40pm Saturday 22nd August 2009 in Sport

FORMER Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School pupil Sean Rigg has joined Forest Green on an initial one-month loan and is set for his debut at Rushden and Diamonds today.

The 21-year-old, who can play up front or on the wing, was a youth player at Forest Green before being poached by Bristol Rovers to do his scholarship at Filton College and he has gone on to make over 50 appearances for the League One side since signing a professional contract in 2006.

Forest Green have also brought in Colin Walker to assist David Brown, who has been given an extended opportunity to continue in caretaker charge following the club’s confirmation of Jim Harvey’s sacking.

Walker has an interesting if somewhat unusual footballing pedigree. Rotherham born, he was reserve-team coach at York City before taking on the role as manager, having fulfilled various roles in a 15-year stint at Barnsley, including community development officer, youth-team coach and academy director.

As a player, however, he has experienced World Cup and Olympic qualifying campaigns with New Zealand, for whom he played 34 times and scored 18 goals.

Walker emigrated in 1983 and became naturalised during a six-year spell at Gisborne City, where he was leading national goalscorer three times and player of the year in 1984.

"I played four times against Brazil in a week against a very young Aldair, who was part of the side who won the World Cup in 1994," he recalled. ''I wanted to swap shirts with him, but he wasn't keen, so to even it up I had to trade him two tracksuits and two pairs of boots."

Brown stated “I am pleased to be able to get someone with Colin’s background to take some of the pressure off me. It will be great to have him on the bench alongside the other members of staff not only to pass on his experience to them but I know he can be trusted to use it for the benefit of our performances on the field as well”.

Meanwhile, Lee Ayres and Curtis McDonald are set to return to the Forest Green squad for the Blue Square Premier trip to Rushden and Diamonds today, 3pm.

The duo missed the 1-0 defeat at home to Luton Town on Tuesday, but are expected to shake off their respective injuries.