Tranmere Rovers have announced the signing of Tom Ince, a veteran forward, on a two-year deal. Ince, who is 34, joins the League Two club after a career that includes spells with several prominent teams. He is the son of former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince.
Ince has a notable scoring record, having netted 103 goals in 505 league appearances throughout his career. He began his professional journey with Liverpool and has since played for clubs such as Blackpool, Hull City, Derby County, Huddersfield, Stoke, and Reading. His most recent club was Watford, where he spent the last three years, scoring 11 goals in 93 appearances.
New Arrivals at Prenton Park
In addition to Ince, Tranmere Rovers have also secured the services of Olly Scott, a left-back, and winger Charlie Veevers. Scott, 25, arrives from Aldershot, where he scored once in 14 National League appearances last season. He had been on trial with the League Two side prior to signing. Veevers, 21, is a former Manchester United trainee who spent the past two years with Burnley’s under-21 squad.
Both Scott and Veevers have signed one-year contracts with their new club. The trio could potentially make their first appearances for Rovers in their Carabao Cup preliminary round tie against Rochdale on Saturday. Tranmere’s league campaign is set to commence with a home fixture against Shrewsbury on Saturday, 15 August.
Manager Darrell Clarke commented on Ince’s arrival, highlighting his experience and quality. Clarke noted that Ince has played at a very high level throughout his career and will bring creativity, composure, and versatility to the final third. His experience is also expected to be invaluable to some of the younger players within the squad.
Ince’s Career Path and Past Interest from Liverpool
Ince’s career has seen him play Premier League football with Crystal Palace, Hull, and Huddersfield. After leaving Liverpool for Blackpool in 2011 at the end of his contract, Liverpool reportedly attempted to re-sign him 18 months later. During his time at Blackpool, Ince became a prominent player in the Championship.
In the 2012 play-off final, he contributed eight goals and 10 assists from 41 appearances. His performance further improved in the 2012/13 season, where he recorded 18 goals and 14 assists from 44 Championship appearances. By the time the January transfer window opened, he had already scored 13 goals and provided 10 assists in 23 outings.
Reports from December 2012 indicated that Liverpool were close to a £4m deal to bring Ince back to Anfield. Blackpool reportedly valued Ince at around £6m, but Liverpool hoped for a significant discount due to a 35% sell-on clause they had negotiated when Ince initially moved to Blackpool. Despite these discussions, the transfer did not materialise. Blackpool boss Michael Appleton confirmed that an offer from Liverpool had been rejected, and no further bids were received.
Ince later expressed his disappointment regarding Blackpool’s decision to block the move, stating that he felt he would have been given a chance under then-manager Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers himself admitted that a deal for Ince appeared complicated and unlikely by the end of January. Ince’s move to Tranmere marks his first time playing in League Two.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
