How Doncaster Rovers have acted to avoid losing their manager so easily in future

Wellens has signed a one-year rolling contract with Rovers, as has been the case with recent managers at the club.

But clauses within the deal mean it will prove much more costly for interested clubs to prise him away than it had for previous bosses.

When opening up the recruitment process which led to Wellens’ appointment this week, the Rovers hierarchy were keen to ensure they had a stronger hand when it came to retaining their manager, having seen their last two cherry-picked by Championship sides.

Grant McCann and Darren Moore departed with Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday able to pay up their respective contracts with Rovers in order to secure their release.

But it would prove much more costly even for one of Rovers’ League One rivals to poach Wellens.

A source told the Free Press: “If another club is serious about wanting Richie, they are going to really have to want him.”

A tiered system of clauses has been entered in the 41-year-old’s contract, detailing the figures clubs at various levels would have to pay as compensation for his services.

Amounts for Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two and international clubs have all been detailed in the contract.

The nature of a one-year rolling contract means Wellens at any given moment has a year remaining on his deal. It also means Rovers would only be required to pay a year’s salary should they opt to sack the manager.

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