New Doncaster Rovers leadership team revealed with forgotten man given key role

Winger Taylor has been stalled by a series of injuries and health issues over the last two-and-a-half years but has returned for pre-season training, seven months since his last competitive appearance.

McCann previously worked with Taylor when he was on the coaching staff at Peterborough United and has talked up the 30-year-old’s talents, telling the Free Press: "The boy could be the best player in League One, never mind League Two, if he’s fit and firing.”

It has now been revealed the former Rotherham United and Shrewsbury Town ace will join forces with Richard Wood, Joe Ironside, Tommy Rowe and Tom Anderson to help govern the Doncaster dressing room.

“It’s a good mix of characters, plenty of experience in there, it’s a good group that will drive standards,” Wood told The Free Press.

"The manager is looking for us to sort the dressing room out and look after it, which I’m sure we will.”

Taylor is one of just four players in Doncaster’s 28-man squad who is aged 30 or over along with Wood, Rowe and transfer-listed Caolan Lavery, who is expected to leave the club this summer.

McCann and his predecessor Danny Schofield had both spoken of the need to add experience and character to Rovers’ dressing room after their lowest league finish since returning to the Football League 20 years ago.

Wood, who fits that bill, added: “It’s better to have a group of people that are a team rather than just one single person trying to run it.

"That’s why you have got a manager and all his staff around him, he can’t do it alone.

"You want as much help as you can get.

"If you have got senior players with you that are backing you and all support you in certain situations – where you might be speaking to certain players and they don’t agree with you – to have their backing always helps.”

Taylor could make his latest comeback in Doncaster’s first pre-season friendly at Rossington Main next Saturday.

Coincidentally, he returned from a previous season-ending injury in the opening warm-up friendly last summer at Armthorpe, only to suffer another setback.