Promotion heroes are set to play vital role for Dickov

The 40-year-old former Manchester City striker and Oldham manager was unveiled as Brian Flynn’s successor yesterday, just an hour after the Rovers board had chosen him.

Appleton, the former Blackburn manager, is understood to have been the frontrunner for some members of Rovers’ three-man board.

But owner John Ryan was impressed by Dickov when Doncaster played his Oldham team three times this season, and insists the former Scotland international was the unanimous decision of the board.

Dickov, who has no experience of managing in the Championship, has been handed a 12-month rolling contract just three months after resigning from Oldham, after his backroom staff were placed on gardening leave and his working relationship with chairman Simon Corney broke down.

Dickov says he feels “blessed” and “honoured” to have been handed the chance to take Doncaster forward after they won League One.

“It’s a step up for me, but it’s one I feel I’m ready for,” he said.

“I’m a very positive person. What we’ve got to do, without setting any specific targets, is continue this momentum and really believe that we can do well.

“We can’t sit here as a newly-promoted club and say that our aim is to just consolidate next season because that sends out the wrong message.

“It’s a very competitive division but we go into it with a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence.

“You’ve got to set the bar high and you never know what you can achieve.

“I feel blessed and I feel lucky and I’ll be doing everything I can to make it work.”

Dickov will have an improved budget to work with as he attempts to ensure Rovers at least consolidate in their first season back in the second tier.

But he has vowed not to bring in a raft of players as he feels that will disrupt the harmony at the club.

“Something that always struck me about Doncaster was the togetherness of the squad and that’s something I really want to keep,” said Dickov.

“Any team that I was successful in had a fantastic team spirit about it and having seen Doncaster a lot this year I really do believe that’s what got them across the line. Players that I bring in will have to integrate into that, and there won’t be an influx of players.

“They’ll have to come in with the same work ethic and desire that is evident now. I’ve got a long list of targets. But it’s important that the ones who have got the club up have the chance to continue the good work.

“There’s a lot of momentum and confidence in the club at the minute and I want to build on that. I want to make people hungrier and make them realise what they can achieve.

“I’m an honest guy. I’ll set an example for the players. Two things I’ll ask of them is work as hard as you can and be the best you can. If you do that you’ve got every chance of being successful.”

Dickov will work under Flynn, who has moved upstairs to become director of football after steering Rovers to the League One title.

Flynn will work on developing the young players at Rovers, which is a facet of management that excites Dickov.

He said: “If you can promote from within it generates a feelgood factor all around the club.

“There’s a lot of good young players here. Yes we’re going to have to get some players with Championship experience that are going to help us kick on up the table, but the sooner we can promote from within the sooner the feelgood factor will come.”

Appleton has more Championship experience, albeit brief with Portsmouth, Blackpool and Blackburn, and was understood to be in pole position for the job.

The Rovers board met three candidates yesterday morning, before whittling it down to Dickov and Appleton for the final interview.

In the past Ryan has earmarked future managers and brought them straight in, with Sean O’Driscoll and Dean Saunders two men who in the past caught the club supremo’s eye.

Of this appointment, Ryan said: “We went through a very thorough process. We knew it was a critical appointment having just got back into the Championship.

“We want someone who we feel will take us on from where we are now and we were very impressed with Paul.

“He did extremely well against us (with Oldham) and we feel he’s got all the credentials to go on and be a fantastic manager.

“He’s very organised, he’s very hard working, very enthusiastic. He has a knack of picking the right plays.

“Although there was some very stiff competition, he came out on top in both our 14-point matrix and also by our personal interviews.”

Terry Bramall, who is one of three major shareholders along with Ryan and Dick Watson, added: “It’s been a good, rigorous process and one where we’ve all been able to express our views and to unanimously come out with the decision to offer the job to Paul.”