Ben Whiteman goes down memory lane as he recalls Doncaster Rovers stint and lauds Grant McCann
Ask any Doncaster Rovers supporter for their favourite player over the past few years and chances are that Ben Whiteman's name crops up abit.
The midfielder initially joined Rovers on a loan deal from Sheffield United in the summer of 2017 but impressed so much that the arrangement was made permanent the following January. He went on to post more than 150 appearances and win plenty of plaudits with the Rovers fanbase before departing to Preston North End in January 2021 for a fee of roughly £1.5million.
Despite having been gone from DN4 for nearly four years he clearly still has an affinity with Rovers. Here, he chats about his time at the Eco-Power Stadium in an exclusive interview with Sky Bet that has been kindly shared with the Free Press.
Q: How do you reflect on your time at Doncaster Rovers, having made over 100 appearances for the club?
BW: “I loved my time at Doncaster. I had great people around me at the time, good role models to look up to, and a good manager. It was my first proper club where I started every week.
"It’s a great club and we were unlucky not to get to the play-off final in League One. It’s one where I look back and it's great memories.”
Q: You had a loan spell with the club during the 2017/18 season. What attracted you to then join the club on a permanent basis the following season?
BW: “It was playing first team football, first and foremost. Obviously, spending the first half of the season there on loan helped and was excellent, so it was a very easy decision for me.
"Sheffield United were flying at the time so I wasn’t going to go there and play, so signing for Doncaster and having that opportunity to sign on a permanent basis is something I’m really grateful for.”
Q: Grant McCann, the current Rovers manager, was also the head coach during your time at the club. Did you enjoy working under him and what was he like as a manager?
BW: “He was fantastic, Grant. He gave me a lot of freedom in my role, and I thoroughly enjoyed working under him. His style of play was superb, it was really aggressive, with high wingers that wanted to get at people.
"We got to the play-offs and were really unfortunate not to progress, losing on penalties.”
Q: You scored your first senior hat-trick with the club in 2017, against Southend, with all three goals scored within a 10-minute spell. What do you remember about that game and those goals?
BW: “It was really quick and I don’t think I realised what I did [in the moment]. As you get older, playing deeper and deeper in my position, the fact that I scored a hat-trick is really strange.
“I just remember it being really quick, a penalty, good strike, and a second phase from a freekick. It gave me some bragging rights.”
Q: The second of those goals won goal of the season at the club’s end of season awards - It was a brilliant half volley from the edge of the box into the top left corner. Is that the best goal you’ve ever scored?
BW: “Probably! I struck it really well and it always looks better when it comes off the underside of the crossbar. It is probably the best goal I’ve scored.”