Doncaster Rovers: Long-term injury victim will get chance to earn new contract during pre-season

Ollie Younger will get a chance to fight for his Doncaster Rovers future during pre-season.

Defender Younger has spent the entire season sidelined through injury after tearing his hamstring just days before the first game against Bradford City in July.

He had been in contention to start on the opening day after impressing at right-back throughout last summer’s pre-season in Kyle Knoyle’s absence.

The former Burnley youngster, who can also play in central defence, made 16 appearances for Rovers in League One last term following his arrival from Sunderland in January 2022.

He is one of 10 players out of contract at the end of the current campaign, but has yet to have a chance to impress the club’s head coach Danny Schofield, who arrived in October.

Schofield said: “He has suffered a tough season, it’s been physically and mentally really challenging on him.

"What the club has done is support him through this process really well. We have spoken to Ollie about him coming back in pre-season and having pre-season with us and progressing from there.”

Younger was initially expected to be sidelined for around four months.

He came close to a return in February only to suffer another setback in the final stages of his recovery.

Schofield admitted he knew very little of Younger the player, having never worked with him on the training pitch, but praised the 23-year-old’s character.

He said: “I watched all the players before I came in to try and analyse them but you never really get that true evaluation until you are working with them every day.

"I do know from speaking to Ollie and him being around the building that he’s a fantastic character.

"He is a really good person and has been really positive throughout these difficult moments in his career.

"I can’t speak highly enough of him as a person but as a player it’s very difficult for me to comment on.”

Schofield will make a final decision on the rest of his out of contract players next week, with few of them expected to be offered fresh terms.

Doncaster conclude the 22/23 season away to Walsall on Monday (12.30pm kick-off).