beye enjoying his ‘project’ at the keepmoat

Beye is excited by ‘the project’ at the Keepmoat Stadium and feels he has no future at his parent club Aston Villa.

The former Newcastle United and Marseille defender, 33, is one of several high-profile signings who have joined Rovers as part of the link-up with agent Willie McKay.

He had made only nine appearances for Villa after leaving Newcastle for £2.5m two summers ago and his £40,000-a-week deal expires this summer.

“I don’t want to go back to Aston Villa,” he said. “If I can stay here until the end of the season, that will suit me.

“This was a good opportunity and I like the project. I spoke with the manager, the chairman, and they all wanted to achieve something. It’s a great club and I made the choice to be part of it.

“If anyone comes in for me in January, like a Premier League club, I have the authorisation to speak with them,” he added. “But right now I am happy here and 100 per cent a Doncaster player.”

One of three Senegalese internationals to join Rovers over the last three months, Beye feels Rovers possess more than enough quality to avoid the drop.

“The project is to stay in the Championship and we have the quality you need to do that,” he said. “We are fighting to get out of trouble and we have been playing well as a team.

“Confidence grows when you keep things tight at the back and the goals start to come. As you get to know each other more, there is also more affinity and more complicity.

“I am confident that we can stay up. The team is not in the right place in the table. We are better than bottom three but we have to work our way out.

“When you start a game, you have a point and you have to keep it,” he said. “I don’t want to compare Doncaster to Manchester United but they win so many games each season 1-0. You can get three points without winning 5-0 and that’s what we have to do.”

Beye had been hoping for a fresh start at Villa this season but the arrival of manager Alex McLeish failed to alter his situation. Now, like El-Hadji Diouf, Pascal Chimbonda, and the rest, he hopes his time at Rovers will serve as a stepping stone back to the top.