Grant McCann seals Doncaster Rovers return - with a supportive message from his wife

The former Hull City and Peterborough United has been out of management since leaving Posh in January, with Rovers officials quickly getting in touch with him after taking the decision to part company with Danny Schofield on Tuesday morning.

McCann spent a successful season at Rovers in 2018-19, which saw him take the club to the brink of a Championship return.

Doncaster lost on penalties in their League One semi-final with Charlton Athletic in May 2019 and while many Rovers supporters were upset when McCann left for Hull the following month, the club's demise since has ensured that any return was likely to prove a popular move among a frustrated fanbase.

On his Rovers’ return, McCann, who also had a stint as a player in Yorkshire at Barnsley, said: “Once I heard of the interest, it was a tremendous opportunity for myself.

“After the phone calls came, I had a chat with my wife and the first thing she said was it was one of the happiest times she’d seen me when I was at Doncaster. That really hit home with me.

“I loved my time here, I enjoyed every minute and I’m looking forward to it.”

The Northern Irishman, who won the League One title at Hull in 2020-21, is a proven operator in the lower divisions and he was quickly identified as the manager who Rovers wanted to turn to after a fraught 2022-23 campaign.

McCann, who has a one-year rolling contract, is Rovers' fourth permanent appointment in the space of just two years, with the 43-year-old having been promised funds to help galvanise the playing side of the club.

Owner Terry Bramall recently pledged to provide "a major injection of funds into the playing budget" to push for promotion next term in a bid to restore the club's fortunes.

Chairman David Blunt said: “We are delighted to secure the return of Grant to the club.

“His previous season here was one of the most thrilling in recent memory, with a breathless brand of attacking, aggressive football that carried us onto the brink of a play-off final.

“In his time away from the club, he has only developed (further) as a manager and we know we are getting an even stronger version of Grant this time around.

“This is a very exciting time for the club, with Grant’s return and Terry’s injection of additional funds, and we are looking forward to a competitive season ahead.”