Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann makes recruitment pledge and opens up on his previous departure to Yorkshire rivals Hull City

McCann has always had an 'edge' and wants his Doncaster Rovers players to possess that as well.

He has taken on a club at a low ebb after a poor 2022-23 campaign which saw Rovers finish in 18th place in League Two.

The 43-year-old is up for the challenge of building a side in his own image on his Rovers return and knows what he wants as he seeks to turn Doncaster into promotion candidates next season.

McCann said: "I love a challenge and love to get my teeth stuck into proving people wrong.

"In this division, you need character. There's no two ways about it. If you look at the teams who have been promoted – the Leyton Orients, Stevenages and Northamptons – they have got character in there and people who know this division and probably the one above.

"Once we get to the nuts and bolts of the recruitment side and I speak to Copps (James Coppinger), the head of recruitment, Gavin (Baldwin) and David (Blunt) and we get to the bottom of the things we need, we'll be going all out for that.

"Ability is important, don't get me wrong. But you have to mix it in this division."

First time around, McCann left Rovers under a cloud for Hull City in June 2019 shortly after the club lost in the League One play-offs. Conscious of fans' hurt back then, he felt compelled to explain why he moved on.

He continued: "We were already ahead in terms of bringing players in. We'd agreed a deal with Ben Sheaf, Reece James and Brad Halliday.

"But at the time, I was so hurt and disappointed. I've always grown up to have that real winning mentality and was desperate to get this club to the Championship and so disappointed we didn't.

"There was an opportunity to go to the Championship and to be brutally honest, financial (reasons) for me and my family was important. But I'd nothing bad to say about this club. It was a big decision and not one I took lightly."