Doncaster Rovers complete signing of young Chelsea striker Alex Kiwomya

The pacey forward, who can operate in a central role as well as on the flanks, has become Rovers' third permanent signing of the summer, with a loan deal also agreed with Sheffield United to sign highly-rated young midfielder Ben Whiteman.

Sheffield-born Kiwomya, 21 - the son of ex-Barnsley and Bradford City forward Andy and nephew of former Ipswich Town striker Chris - spent last season on loan at League Two outfit Crewe Alexandra and scored seven goals in the first half of the campaign and earned a player-of-the-month nomination in September.

After signing on a half-season loan, Kiwomya extended his spell for the rest of the season after the Railwaymen agreed another deal with parent club Chelsea.

Now the former England under-19 international, who spent loan spells earlier in this career at Barnsley and Fleetwood, finds himself back in Yorkshire, with some positive references from Chelsea team-mate Jordan Houghton - on loan at Rovers last term - further crystallizing his view that he has made the right move.

He said: “I know the club came in for me a couple of times last season, but we could not get the deal done. It is nice to know they have had their eye on me for a while.

“It was a hard decision to leave Chelsea as I have been there from the age of 14, but I think it was the right time to make a permanent move and show people what I can do.

“I spoke to Jordan (Houghton) this week and he was saying that he would love to come back as he really enjoyed his time here."

Kiwomya's pace will provide energy in Rovers' frontline, with his ability to play in several positions up front also boosting manager Darren Ferguson's attacking options.

Admitting that regular first-team football was also a key consideration for him at this stage in his career, Kiwomya added: "The main thing for me is getting consistent minutes on the pitch, the manager sees me as an important part of his plans so hopefully I can produce for him.

"I have got good vision and can link up play with my team-mates, I have got a lot of pace, so hopefully I can use that to create and score goals next season.

“The manager puts a lot of time into being able to change formations during a game, the players all work their socks off, so I am looking forward to being a part of that."