Bowery embracing pressure to excel at Rovers

The pacy Aston Villa striker made his first start in nine months in Rovers’ derby with Barnsley last weekend and is desperate for more game-time after being starved of action in 2013-14.

Bowery has made just six substitute appearances for Villa this season and is eager to make up for lost time in his spell at Rovers, who moved swiftly to sign him 
after Billy Sharp picked up a three-match ban following his recent dismissal at Brighton.

Sharp will be back for Rovers’ home game with Huddersfield Town on March 8 and, while Bowery’s initial one-month spell ends after the game with home-town club Nottingham Forest seven days later, he has already set his sights on sticking around longer.

The ex-Chesterfield forward, who joined Villa for £500,000 in the summer of 2012, said: “Billy is a goalscorer and knows what he’s doing. It’s good to take his place, but, hopefully, I will keep it when he comes back.

“There is always pressure in football and that what’s you want to push you on.”

Bowery’s last Villa appearance was on Boxing Day. The new year arrival of Grant Holt as striking cover facilitated his path to Doncaster after Villa boss Paul Lambert had been reluctant to loan him out earlier this term.

On his move north, Bowery said: “I have not been on the bench (recently), so I asked Paul Lambert to come out on loan and he said he would think about it.

“Then last Thursday evening, I got a phone call saying Doncaster were interested and I could sign if I wanted to. I said yes, of course.

“When you go to a Premier League club, it’s frustrating when you are not playing and are sat in the stands.

“I have played a few reserve games and it doesn’t really do much for you. Coming to a club like this is going to help me.

“I have not come here to sit on the bench, but (to) help the team and prove myself.”

On the possibility of extending his stint at Rovers, he added: “Hopefully, we’ll take it step by step and see how it goes.”

Dickov has revealed that luckless winger Harry Forrester is likely to be out for the rest of the season after undergoing a cartilage operation on Wednesday which will rule him out for at least six weeks.

Forrester has been struck with separate ankle, thigh and knee problems this term.

Dickov said: “I told Harry to forget about rushing back now and make sure when he gets back in pre-season that he is the fittest he ever has been. Anything before that is a bonus.”