Willie McKay exclusive: I’ve never done anything wrong apart from be successful

McKay has also told the Yorkshire Post that Senegal international Mustapha Bayal Sall is set to join Rovers on a six-month loan deal from St Etienne in the New Year transfer window.

It is two months since Rovers announced the departure of manager Sean O’Driscoll and turned to former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders for much-needed inspiration.

Rovers may still be bottom of the Championship table but results have picked up thanks, in no small part, to the shock arrival of players including El-Hadji Diouf, Pascal Chimbonda and Herita Ilunga. The deals were only made possible by the link-up with Bawtry-based McKay and Rovers are paying just a fraction of their normal weekly wages in exchange for the provision of a ‘shop window’ to prospective buyers.

Critics accuse Rovers of ‘short-termism’ and some have even questioned McKay’s motives.

However, the arrangement is breaking no rules at the Football Association and, according to McKay, has started to prompt envious calls from other clubs in the Championship.

“You can never keep everyone happy and there are some people on websites who would rather have Sean O’Driscoll in charge and be playing League One football,” he said. “It is easy to slaughter me when you don’t know me but I have never done anything wrong apart from be successful.

“If I didn’t think we could move the club up the table, I wouldn’t have agreed to do what I have agreed to do and since I have started helping Rovers, I have had phone calls from owners and chief executives of other clubs saying ‘Why didn’t you phone me? We would have done that with you’.

“One of the biggest reasons they came to me was that I offered them a player two-and-a-half years ago who was later subject to a £14m bid from Liverpool. Doncaster Rovers could have got him for £150,000. I can’t say who it was but the manager turned it down flat.”

O’Driscoll’s reluctance to deal with McKay was never the primary reason for his departure. That was more a result of his team’s failure to win in the previous 19 league games.

Under Saunders, Rovers have won three out of nine including an impressive away win at play-off chasing Ipswich Town last time out. Diouf, who had been unable to find a new club since leaving Blackburn Rovers in August, bagged two of the goals.

The Senegalese international has never been far from controversy during his nine years in the English game but is adamant that he can again forge a career in the Premier League.

“People forget that El-Hadji Diouf has been in relegation battles for the past eight seasons with Bolton and Blackburn so he’s used to having a scrap,” said McKay.

“Of course, if he had kept his nose clean, he wouldn’t be at Doncaster but that’s lucky for Doncaster. Is he the anti-christ? No. He’s a top, top player and it was very difficult to persuade him to come to Doncaster – but he knows what I can do for him and I know what he can do for Doncaster Rovers.”

Naturally, in his role as middle man, McKay stands to benefit if any of Rovers’ short-term acquisitions go on to sign for bigger clubs in January.

But the conveyor belt will keep moving and the man who has been involved in nearly 500 deals – including Ronaldinho’s switch from Paris Saint-Germain to Barcelona – still has a lengthy list of names to put forward to Saunders.

St Etienne defender Bayal Sall, 25, is already checking out places to live in Yorkshire, taking advice from former Leeds United winger Max Gradel. Assistant manager Brian Carey watched his latest performance for Senegal this week and, under the terms of the proposed deal, Rovers will bank 40 per cent of any transfer fee sparked by his stay.

Who is the man helping revive Rovers?

ORIGINALLY from Glasgow, McKay has lived in Bawtry for several years and owns 20 horse races.

His two sons play in the Rovers youth set-up.

In 2007, he was arrested by City of London Police investigating alleged corruption in football but McKay is now pursuing legal action for wrongful arrest after being cleared of all charges.

McKay has signed a two-year agreement with Doncaster Rovers and is being paid a nominal sum of £100 a week for his services.

Rovers have signed Diouf, Chimbonda, Ilunga, Chris Kirkland and Carle Ikeme since he took on his ‘advisory’ role.