Doncaster Rovers v Plymouth: Mipo Odubeko aiming to make up for lost time

Manager Gary McSheffrey is certainly not about to disagree.

The 19-year-old arrived at Huddersfield Town from West Ham with a predatory reputation in the Premier League 2 where he netted a host of goals for the Hammers’ Under-23s team.

He was also involved in 18 matchday squads for West Ham’s first-team last season – making his debut in the Emirates FA Cup victory at Stockport County. 

Unfortunately, his move to the Terriers did not work in the way he hoped, with a break clause in the season-long deal being invoked earlier this month.

Despite his return to West Ham, Town head coach Carlos Corberan went on record to state that Odubeko was a ‘special talent’ in the making, certainly in terms of his finishing ability.

It is perhaps other parts of his game which also need honing and McSheffrey is hoping that the League One environment will afford him more game time and chance to develop and prosper – with a few goals along the way to help the club’s survival fight.

He said: “No-one has a intentionally poor loan where you don’t get opportunities, but that is how it turned out and they have good players there and trusted and experienced strikers and a great squad.

“We’d like to think he is coming here with a determination to get minutes and get his name on the map and scoring goals as a professional. If he does that for us, then we will reap the benefits of it.

“He can finish off both feet and has a good strike of the ball and runs the line well and plays off the shoulder and is consistently looking to get on the end of throughballs and get in behind.

“They are qualities that we feel, as a team and a squad, that we were missing.”

Odubeko will be afforded one familiar face at Rovers following the news that Huddersfield left-back Ben Jackson has linked up with the club on loan for the rest of the season.

The capture of Jackson – the club’s seventh signing of a busy January – follows on from the additions of Odubeko and Adam Clayton earlier this week.

The full-back has made one senior appearance for the Terriers in the EFL Cup game against Rochdale in September 2020.

The academy product has spent previous loan spells at Bolton Wanderers, Stockport County and Darlington.