Why Sean O'Driscoll is still the Doncaster Rovers benchmark

It is no surprise the former Republic of Ireland midfielder was the standard-bearer both aspired to as Rovers manager.

In 2006 O'Driscoll inherited a League One club which had only returned to the Football League three years earlier.

His first two seasons brought Wembley wins to claim the Football League Trophy, then promotion. O'Driscoll kept them in the Championship for three seasons before being sacked early in what proved a relegation campaign.

Doncaster have only played Championship football in one more of the 11 subsequent seasons and are now in League Two.

Wellens played under O'Driscoll whereas Doncaster-born Schofield followed the fortunes he helped to transform.

History can sometimes be a burden for football clubs, and Wellens’ knowledge of it did not help him, but Schofield sees O'Driscoll's time as an example of what can be achieved. It is guiding director of football James Coppinger – who also played for Rovers during that era – too.

"It shows what can be done by a so-called smaller club, achieving Championship status," said Schofield, who took the manager's job in October. “With our sporting director having played under him, he feels it's within us to get there.

"It's not going to happen overnight but we're going to try our utmost to create our own identity – it won't be exactly the same.

"I've got my clear way of how I want to play football, how I want to coach it and implement the ideas so hopefully we see progression quickly."