Doncaster Rovers: This is what James Coppinger said about Terry Bramall's budget boost

Bramall has pledged a ‘significant financial injection’ in a bid to reverse Rovers’ ailing fortunes and mount a promotion push from League Two next season.

Rovers’ chief operating officer Shaun Lockwood revealed earlier this month that next season’s playing budget has been ‘ringfenced’ for the first time in more than a decade.

And Coppinger says that will give the club a head start when it comes to recruiting in the summer transfer window.

“To read that statement [from Terry Bramall] and have those conversations this early puts us in a good position to have conversations [with players],” Coppinger said in an in-house interview.

"I don’t think that’s happened before so it’s a positive move from the club.

"The lads are giving everything to finish off this season but in the background it gives us the opportunity to speak to potential targets.

"We know what we’re working with – which, again, hasn’t been done at this point. It’s usually done further down the line.

"So it gives us a lot more time to plan, a lot more time to put things in place and look forward to next season.”

Coppinger admitted Rovers were restricted to loan signings in January and suggested that Kyle Knoyle and Adam Clayton were allowed to leave the club in the last window to help balance the books.

Rovers have since dropped out of contention for the play-offs and an injury-hit squad has sunk to 14th in the table having won just one of the last 12 games.

But Coppinger is confident the club can be ‘competitive’ next season with the right additions.

"We knew where we were [in January] but moving forward it’s looking like we’ve got funds available to almost progress with targets,” he said.

“We’re looking to build on what we’ve already put in place which we feel is a strong squad but we can add to that in the right areas, at the right sort of age, with the right experience.

"It’s not just the quality of player, it’s what they come with, what they offer the group and what we’re missing.

"We haven’t got money to go and buy players so we’re looking for players out of contract – like everybody else.

“We feel like with where the club are, in terms of the environment and what we can offer players, as well as the way we play – we’ve had a lot of conversations with players that want to come to us because of the way we play and the way we do things – it allows us to have more conversations and earlier conversations to try and get those players through the door.

"We want to add experience, leadership and quality to the squad. Everybody is looking for the same things and we’re no different.

"I think the biggest thing is the fact that it’s come this early and we know what we’re working with and it allows us to have conversations early and it gives us the opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive.

"We believe that with what we’ve got we can be competitive next season if we get the right players through the door.”