Doncaster Rovers new boy James Brown takes swipe at former club Stockport County

Right-back Brown has joined Doncaster on loan from Blackburn Rovers for the rest of the season after spending the first half of the campaign with their League Two rivals.

The 24-year-old made 22 appearances for the Hatters before being recalled at the start of January and switching to the Eco-Power Stadium despite interest from Scottish Premier League clubs.

Reflecting on his time at Stockport, Irishman Brown said: “I thought I did OK in certain situations.

"We played seven or eight games, were unbeaten and didn’t concede a goal. I thought we were flying then I got left out for a few weeks, which was a bit questionable.

"There were a few questions to be asked and I didn’t really enjoy that side of it, but on the pitch I felt good.”

Just two points currently separate Doncaster and Dave Challinor’s Stockport, who coincidentally signed Kyle Knoyle from Rovers to replace Brown.

But, just two weeks after arriving in South Yorkshire, Brown was clear where he would rather be.

He said: “Here, there’s a good togetherness. Everyone gets along, there’s no real ratting about each other, it’s always encouraging and it comes from the staff down.

"The staff are really positive and there’s a lot more positivity here.”

Brown, from Dublin, clocked up more than a century of games in his homeland but only turned professional this time last year when he signed for Blackburn.

Prior to that he worked at a gym, which allowed him to top up his fitness in between training and playing part-time in the League of Ireland Premier Division, which he compared to England’s fourth tier in terms of quality.

"I’m loving it,” he said of the last 12 months.

"I was living my dream for the first few months then got sick of sitting on the sidelines. I know it was the Championship, I can’t expect a whole lot.

"I wanted to get out playing, hence why I wanted to go out on loan this year. Nothing beats playing week in, week out.”

Brown impressed after making his Rovers debut off the bench in last weekend’s defeat to Mansfield Town.

He could earn his first start against Hartlepool United on Saturday with Danny Schofield expected to make changes to the side that started in Nottinghamshire.

Having been part of the Stockport team who beat Keith Curle’s side 5-0 earlier this campaign, Brown is confident of the key to success for Doncaster after back-to-back defeats, which has left them fifteenth in League Two.

He said: “We caught them with an early goal, that sets the tone for any game.

"They are a physical side, the type of side that grind out results, so if it gets to the second half and it’s 0-0 they frustrate you and time waste.

"An early goal is key.”

Hartlepool head into the clash just one point above the relegation zone, having also lost their last two matches.