Doncaster Rovers v Ipswich Town - Josh Sims puts building blocks in place

Now the winger has joined Doncaster Rovers at a critical stage of his career, a well-rounded player excited about joining a group of youngsters learning the game together.

Sims marked his Rovers debut on loan from Southampton the way he did his maiden Saints appearance – with an assist for the game’s only goal. It was all the sweeter because Doncaster were at Southampton’s bitter rivals Portsmouth.

Now Sims is hoping for another run-out at home to League One leaders Ipswich Town in tonight’s 7pm kick-off to build his sharpness after a disrupted 2020.

Having finished the 2019 Major League Soccer season on loan at New York Red Bulls, Sims returned this year hoping to learn more about a playing style favoured by Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

“The Red Bull group are very attack-minded, pressing, and that’s similar to the manager in Southampton, who came from a Red Bull team (Leipzig). I wanted to gain more experience in that,” explained the 23-year-old, whose development was a hampered by a serious knee injury in 2017, and whose Saints contract expires in the summer.

“They’re very attack-minded and I learned to be more aggressive in my play. Definitely that side of the game improved.”

Going on loan, as Sims also did at Reading in 2018-19, is also about developing as a person. He got lessons he was never expecting in New York.

“My last game was at the beginning of March,” he points out. “It was difficult because England was going into lockdown before America, but then the Government in the UK was saying anyone abroad needed to come back.

“I was trying to liaise between New York Red Bulls and Southampton about whether I should stay out there or come back.

“I was in my apartment for a couple of weeks locked down and it was tough to be there on your own when you could see on the news how bad it was getting.

“We came to the decision that it would be best for me to fly back early and I got to be with my family in England, which was lucky because America got hit really badly – especially New York and New Jersey (where the club is based).

“You certainly had to mature and think of the bigger picture. It was about family and making the right decisions. It was tough having to essentially cancel my loan early but I think I made the right call. To be back home with the family was more important than my football.”

He feels his work since has minimised the effect of his lay-off.

“Training at Southampton has been tough,” he says. “The way the manager sets the team up it’s a lot of pressing so you need to be fit. I guess I feel training-fit but you feel that difference in games. Game-sharpness is what I need.

“Having looked at the fixture list it’s pretty full-on but that’s good. You want games and you can’t ask for much more than the schedule we’ve got now!”

Sims hopes to bring speed, excitement and the ability to play with two feet in his three-month loan.

“Hopefully I’m an exciting player,” he says. “I’ve always been a small, fast winger. As I’ve got older I’ve had to learn you can’t just rely on your speed. I’ve learned to be smarter in my movement, get on the ball and be a bit more creative.

“Growing up at Southampton I was primarily on the left, coming in on my right foot, but as I get older I was on the right, more getting crosses in but also coming inside. I had to learn again to use my left foot because you can’t always go the same way. I can come inside and shoot, link with the striker, or go down the line and put in a half-decent cross.”

With six loanees this season, all bar Stoke City goalkeeper Josef Bursik from top-flight clubs, Sims believes Darren Moore has Doncaster playing Premier League-style football.

“In a Premier League academy a lot of the teams play similar football – fluid, one and two touches – so now we’re together you kind of have the same philosophy.

“Their quality is something I’ve noticed from the boys even just being here for a few days.

“It’s an exciting team and I think it brings interest from Premier League clubs and young players like myself to play in League One. It’s not a step down because we’re all in it together.

“It’s an exciting time for Doncaster. I believe we can really do well this year. At the weekend against Portsmouth, who are a good side, we kept a clean sheet and got the win and if we can build on that against Ipswich, I think it will come.”

Last six games: Doncaster Rovers WLLWWD; Ipswich Town WWWDWW

Referee: S Oldham (Lancashire)

Last time: Doncaster Rovers 1 Ipswich Town 4, August 25, 2015, League Cup.