James Tyrell is a defender who progressed through the Rovers youth system at the Bristol Academy of Sport, graduating to the first team squad in the summer of 2008, the same year as Joe White and Ben Swallow. He failed to make any first team appearances during his time with The Pirates, but he was an unused substitute three times. The first of these was on 6 February 2010, when he was on the bench for Rovers' 0–0 draw with Walsall, and he was also named in the matchday 18 for the return fixture three days later. His only other appearance on the bench came on 20 February 2010, when he was named in the squad that lost 1–0 to Gillingham.