Everton v Doncaster Rovers: Goodison Park visit about more than sentiment for Rovers

McCann's Doncaster Rovers have drawn Everton in the League Cup second round just in time for him to tick Goodison Park off his list in what is due to be its last season. Given that Rovers have not played there since 1985, there will be plenty in the away end ticking it off too.

For the players there is a different excitement, pitting their wits against Premier League players.

And McCann and coach Lee Glover can catch up with old friends in Toffees manager Sean Dyche and his assistant Ian Woan.

But last year's game between the sides at the same stage – not to mention th e problems Dyche is wrestling with – show Doncaster should be there for more than a day out.

Then, hosts Rovers were bottom of the Football League, their only win at Hull City in round one. But it took the introduction of £30m debutant Beto after a half-time which saw the visitors booed off to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win.

Everton, wrote Leon Wobschall in The Yorkshire Post, "were in grave danger of adding to their litany of embarrassing cup upsets" as Doncaster "significantly worried them and unhinged them."

Go one better this time and Rovers might even be rewarded with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday's complicated third-round draw so McCann can complete a set.

"It's a great game, a great occasion for our fans to go to a very nostalgic stadium," says the former West Ham United midfielder, now 44.

"I've actually never been there myself. I've been to most Premier League grounds but I haven't been to Tottenham's or Everton's so I'm looking forward to it.

"It's just an occasion for us to see how far away we are from the Premier League. I know we are (far away) because we're in League Two but it gives the boys a chance to play against top Premier League players. We'll give it our best shot to try and win the game.

"We have a lot of young players and they should aspire to be at that level so to test themselves against those type of players will be a great occasion."

Doncaster rose to the last occasion and will be hoping to do so again against an Everton side who complained last week they had only 14 fit senior players for a game at Spurs which they lost 4-0.

"I just remember a £30m centre-forward coming on and taking the game away from us," McCann says of August 30, 2023. "That's the difference in the levels, really.

"I thought we were really good in the game – all the game. I know we conceded quite late but I thought for the whole game we were really good and gave a good account of ourselves live on TV."

He is looking forward to his first taste of the ground which opened with an athletics event 130 years ago last Saturday after a dispute over rent at Anfield caused Everton to find a new home. A lack of development during the long 21st-Century search for another makes it feel even more like a living museum, and the company will bring memories too.

"Every time you watch Everton on TV you see how tight it is and the atmosphere's unbelievable," comments McCann.

"It'll be a good occasion for us and it'll be good to see Sean, my old mate, again. Sean's a great guy and I've kept in touch over the years.

"He gave me my first bit of advice many years ago when I went into management. I met him at his home and had a coffee with him so I've known him for many years. Lee Glover's good friends with Sean, Ian Woan and people like that."

Doncaster will be without captain Richard Wood not just at Goodison but for the next couple of months after a kick or two too many on what, unbeknownst to him, was a fractured ankle.

McCann, though, feels it would be unfair to dip into the transfer market for cover ahead of Friday's 11pm deadline.

"I know people from the outside will be saying, 'You need a centre-half now,' but it's not as easy as that because I'll need to bring a centre-half in to start," he acknowledged. "We ain't going to be getting a permanent signing at this stage, we haven't got the funds to buy somebody at this moment so our next stop is to use our fifth loan (option).

"I wouldn't be bringing a loan player in now to sit in the stands, it's not fair.

"It's not fair on Joe Olowu, it's not fair on Jay McGrath, they've have had good pre-seasons. Owen Bailey can play centre-half if needed.

"We've got young players in our academy, young Kasper (Williams) had a really good pre-season with us since he started to train with us more regularly, Will Flint, we can call him back (from a loan at Darlington) at the start of next month if we need to.

"It's about time we started trusting these boys now instead of saying we'll replace Woody.

"If anything else happens I might have to but that's the way we'll go about it."