Rovers deal for defender Parkes

Academy product Tom Parkes is due to agree to a permanent deal with Bristol Rovers having failed to break into the Leicester City first team.

Parkes, 20, made a number of appearances in pre-season for the Foxes but has elected to return to Rovers, for whom he made 14 appearances on loan last term.

Despite injury to Sean St Ledger making City's back line in dire need of a supporting cast, Nigel Pearson has not elected to give Parkes a run in the first team. The defender spent almost the entirety of last season away from the King Power Stadium, following spells with Burton Albion and Yeovil Town with a six-month stay at the Memorial Stadium from January.

The move of Parkes perhaps paves the way for a new man to enter the club, with rumours of Stoke City defender Danny Higginbotham making a move to the East Midlands resurfacing in the last twenty-four hours.