Doncaster Rovers: Etheridge confident about winning automatic promotion

The 21-year-old joined Rovers on a two-year deal last week after rejecting a new contract with Accrington Stanley.

And the 6’5” stopper has made no bones about the fact that he thinks his move to the Keepmoat Stadium will better his chances of moving up a league.

“Doncaster Rovers is a good club and there’s a really good opportunity to go straight back up - and I think we’ll do it,” said Etheridge.

“I think if we get off to a good start we’ll have no problems in getting automatic promotion.

“Matt Crooks and Josh Windass have gone to Rangers so I think Accrington will have a good chance.

“But I don’t think they’ll have a better chance than Doncaster to go up.”

Etheridge’s performances for Stanley last term, which helped the club reach the League Two play-offs for the first time, caught the eye of Rovers boss Darren Ferguson, who wasted no time in approaching the former Derby County trainee.

And Ferguson has clearly identified Etheridge’s distribution as a key attribute.

“The way I play is playing out from the back and hitting good areas, and that’s what the gaffer wants,” said Etheridge, who is expected to start the season as the club’s first choice goalkeeper.

“He’s seen I can do it and he really likes what I do, so he’s told me to keep on doing what I do.

“I think we’ll play in a good style, playing it out from the back and passing it rather than just lumping it. A lot of the teams in League Two will just launch it and miss out the midfield, but that’s not what we’ll be about.”