Wellens getting his rewards for summer’s toils

Wellens, 33, struggled for fitness last season due to injuries and lack of first-team football at Leicester City.

It prompted him to return to Rovers over the summer – four years after leaving South Yorkshire – and endure pre-season training with the club despite not having a contract or getting paid.

But his hard graft is now starting to pay off with a new contract, and the former Manchester United youngster is hoping he can help Doncaster kick on, starting with tonight’s trip to Watford.

Wellens said: “I was probably a maximum of 50 or 60 per cent fit last year. I played an FA Cup game away at Huddersfield when the manager asked me to play and I had played no Under-21 (development) games or nothing.

“I was miles off the pace and not fit or sharp. It was difficult. No disrespect, but when you play the Under-21 games against kids, it’s easy. When you go into the Championship, the pace is so much quicker.

“I never got fit last year and just wanted to write it off and that’s why I came to Doncaster to do a pre-season even though I wasn’t getting paid.

“I was doing it off my own back, just to make sure when I did start the season that I was starting at a good level.

“Last season was probably the only one when I have never played 40-odd games. I played five or six games (on loan) at Ipswich, but again I was nowhere near fit.

“It was a shame when I came back from Ipswich, I got another injury (at Leicester), it was back to square one.

“I still don’t feel I am at my top, top best, but feel I am getting there.”

The signings of Theo Robinson, from Derby, and Manchester United’s Federico Macheda have bolstered Rovers’ squad.

“We have not had a squad until really late in pre-season. But there’s potential here to be a really good football team,” said Wellens.

“You can see if we get injuries or suspensions, we are going to be pretty threadbare. But if the manager gets a bit of help and a few more in, I’m sure we’ll be competitive and get up that table.

“It’s been a decent start. But we dropped two points against Wigan and should have had three against Charlton.”