Ex-Manchester United youngster Deji Sotona joins Doncaster Rovers after trial following Burnley exit

Forward Sotona had been on trial with Rovers since last week and played 45 minutes in Tuesday's win over Boston United.

The 20-year-old most recently played for Burnley but was released at the end of last season.

He was previously with French top-flight side OGC Nice, the club he joined from United in 2020, and has also loan spells at Kilmarnock and Brentford B.

Waterford-born Sotona has also represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level.

He becomes Doncaster boss Grant McCann’s ninth and possibly final signing of the summer.

McCann previously said he wanted to sign one more attacking player, and his latest arrival fits the bill.

It is believed Sotona is comfortable playing on either flank.

He also played up front while at United, whom he joined aged 13.

A former junior sprinter, Sotona made headlines as the Red Devils’ fastest player in 2019 at the age of just 16.

He rejected the offer of a three-year professional contract with United to sign for Nice, then managed by Patrick Viera, in September 2020.

It was reported clubs in Italy, Spain and Germany had also been monitoring him.

Sotona joined Nice after being promised an opportunity at first-team level, but dropped into the reserves following Viera’s dismissal in December 2020.

The youngster reportedly found game-time hard to come by in the club’s development set-up due to the Covid-19 pandemic and following a trial joined Brentford B on loan in January 2022 with a view to a permanent move.

He played 21 times for Brentford's second string but returned to Nice at the end of the season before heading out on loan again, this time to SPL side Kilmarnock.

Sotona made two appearances in the Scottish top flight, both of them as a substitute, before his season-long loan was cut short in January.

He joined Burnley later that month, signing for the club's development team, but left without making a first-team appearance.

Sotona did not initially travel with Doncaster to their pre-season training camp in St Andrews, Scotland but joined up with his new teammates for training on Friday.

He could be involved when Rovers take on York City in their latest pre-season friendly on Tuesday (7.4pm kick-off).