Doncaster Rovers' George Broadbent relishing Tommy Rowe competition as he promises goals and assists

The 22-year-old has made more than 50 league appearances in a variety of competitions on loan at Curzon Ashton, Belgian side Beerschot, Rochdale and Boreham Wood. But after leaving Sheffield United without making a senior appearance, League Two Doncaster represent a proper start in the senior game for him.

McCann has been quite clear about what he wants from his radically-revamped squad and even if he had not spelt it out, an eight-year managerial career with Peterborough United, Hull City and a previous spell at Doncaster in 2018-19 says it for him.

The Northern Irishman likes his team to play intense, aggressive, attacking football in a 4-3-3 formation, and has mentioned numerous times he wants more goals from midfield.

Providing them as a box-to-box midfielder is a role which has been earmarked for Jack-of-all-trades Tommy Rowe, but McCann also does not want a key member of the squad to have things all his own way, and Broadbent's job will be to keep Rowe on the sidelines as often as possible.

Broadbent says he will judge himself by the number of goals he scores and makes.

"He (McCann) just said he likes the way I play and what I can bring to the team," he revealed. "I just want to repay the faith he's put in me. I want to be a midfielder that will try to contirbute to goals and assists.

"I'm a box-to-box midfielder, the old-fashioned No 8, arriving late in the box and contributing goals and assists.

"A really good calibre of players have come in now and I wanted to be a part of that.

"Good competition breeds success in a team. If we can get that we'll have a successful season.

"I've had a couple of loan moves and I've been in the league before so I thought this was a good opportunity for me to come and show what I can do and hopefully have a successful season."