Flynn welcomes title challenge with Doncaster

The 57-year-old, who had two spells as a Rovers player in the mid to late Eighties, has initially been handed the Keepmoat Stadium post for the rest of the season, with captain Rob Jones appointed player-coach.

Flynn’s previous job in club management was with Swansea City, with the former Leeds, Burnley and Wales midfielder appointed as Wales Under-21 boss shortly after leaving the Swans in March 2004.

In his time with the Football Association of Wales, Flynn oversaw a massive upturn in fortunes for the Under-21 side and went close in 2009 to taking them to their first UEFA Under-21 Championship finals in 57 years.

He was also instrumental in the development of a host of household names including Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.

Flynn, who left his international post last May, did have chances to move back into the club game during that time, but declined the opportunities.

The vastly-experienced Welshman cut his managerial teeth as player-boss at Wrexham in his early thirties.

And Flynn, who joined Rovers as chief scout in August, is determined to cash in on what he considers to be seriously good fortune after being handed the reins at a promotion-chasing club.

Flynn, appointed as caretaker-boss following the departure of compatriot Dean Saunders to Wolves almost a fortnight ago, said: “I did not give up hope of coming back into (club) management, but did not want to come to the wrong place.

“I could have applied for quite a number of jobs. In our industry, jobs do come around a lot. But there is nothing that excited me as much as this.

“It is not often you get the chance to look after a team who are top of the league and doing particularly well.

“There were some really, really good managers out of work looking for a job like this, good quality ones.

“But it is an old saying in football, but very, very true – possession is nine-tenths of the law. I am in the right place at the right time and that is what happens in football.

“Dean has told me about the strengths and weaknesses of the players and I have been around the training ground and – being in football a while – I knew quite a few of the players anyway, such as Dave Cotterill, who I gave his Wales Under-21 debut. Lee Fowler was also in the Wales Under-21 team when I took over initially.

“You also get to know about players from people in the game, and they have been fine and very responsive here.”

Chairman John Ryan has made no secret of the fact that he wants Rovers not only to secure an instant return to Championship football in 2013-14, but also the League One title.

The odds on achieving that mission are getting increasingly short-priced, with second-placed Rovers trailing leaders Tranmere only on goal difference with a game in hand.

Flynn is happy to carry that expectation on his shoulders.

He added: “In the words of the chairman, the aim for this season is not only promotion but going up as champions as well. That positive attitude has come from the chairman and the board and we will try and carry that out.

“When you walk into a dressing room, you can tell there is success in the air, and that is the feeling I got when I came down to the training ground at Cantley Park. I could sense that the players were hungry for success.”

Rovers’ hierarchy – chairman Ryan, co-owners Dick Watson and Terry Bramall and chief executive Gavin Baldwin – met yesterday lunch-time with the initial brief of weighing up their next move, having drawn up a short-list of four or five candidates to replace Saunders.

Former Hull City and Bradford City boss Peter Taylor is thought to have been on their list.

Seemingly intent on arranging interviews for the early part of next week, a change of tack followed that meeting and, for continuity purposes, it was decided that with just 19 games of the season to go, Flynn should continue at the helm.

Ryan said: “We had an overwhelming number of applications for the position, including former international and Premiership managers. However, after a detailed process, we felt that our initial choice, Brian, was the best person to put in charge and would allow a seamless transition.

“Brian has a great history at the club and is being assisted by our current captain Rob Jones, who has earned the respect of his team-mates and fans this season through his commanding leadership.”

While playing remains his priority, Jones is delighted to be able to cultivate his coaching and managerial education under Flynn, ahead of starting a second footballing career in the dug-out when he hangs up his boots.

Insisting the vibes have been good between the pair, thrust together at short notice as joint caretaker-bosses following Saunders’s exit, Jones – who concedes landing the full-time job would have been ‘too early’ for him – said: “Things have been quite smooth and Brian is obviously very experienced and has taken a lot of pressure off me. I have learned an awful lot so far.

“Continuity is the key. All the hard work has been done. It’s just a case of me and Brian continuing the good work that has been done with a good group of players.”