'We're well underway' - Doncaster Rovers coach says summer targets already compiled

Rovers are likely to be in the market for at least two stoppers given that both current senior custodians - Thimothee Lo-Tutala and Zander Clark - are on loan arrangements. Add in the uncertainty over young pair Jacob Bryant and Jake Oram, both of whom have contracts that expire at the end of this season, and it has the potential to be a mightily busy time in that part of the pitch.

Letheren, as Rovers' goalkeeping coach, is the man tasked with looking after that area of the team and such is the trust that manager Grant McCann has in him that this extends into recruitment, as he explains to the Free Press in the second part of a wide-ranging interview.

"Grant will openly tell you he doesn't have a clue about goalkeeping, so he leaves that down to me," Letheren says. "And I think that's just the relationship that we've got and that has grown over the last three years, to have that trust.

"We're well underway with that (summer recruitment). It was probably not ideal having two loan keepers this season, but that's what the market give us at that moment. Ideally next season we would like at least one of our own goalkeepers, if not two, within the building. But I'm not going to turn down a good loanee if their attributes suit us the best.

"I'm constantly watching goalkeepers non-stop, whether it's on Wyscout or out at games and I've already compiled a shortlist together and when we're ready and when the gaffer says it's time to sit down, I'll put their names to him. And so far we've not failed to get one of our targets yet. And I think if you look at the 'keepers we've had in the last few years - Timmy (Lo-Tutala) and Teddy Sharman-Lowe for example - they have all done relatively well."

Sharman-Lowe in particular proved to be a shrewd signing last season and played a big part in the League Two title triumph, playing every single league game. Letheren admits that it could be looked back on as a bit of a gamble to sanction a season-long loan from Chelsea, especially given the youngster had played just a handful of senior games prior to arriving in DN4.

But it was a gamble that handsomely paid off. Letheren picks up the story of how he first got a glimpse of Sharman-Lowe, unexpectedly.

"I was at a game between Halifax and Bromley, the season before last, and Teddy got a game because of a late injury to the Bromley first-choice keeper," he says.

"I really liked his attributes and then I went away and spoke to Chelsea and watched him some more. And I really liked what I saw. "Yes, it was a bit of a risk at the time taking a keeper that didn't have any sort of league experience. But I think you saw the progress within Teddy throughout that season.

"And that's a big part of my job - to guide them through the good times and the not so good times and keep them grounded along the way."

That last line is key as Letheren puts as much emphasis on the psychological side of goalkeeping - a position that is unique within football - as he does the technical aspects. As he explains, this all feeds into sessions for the goalkeeping cohort that he ensures are varied so as to keep them on their toes for all eventualities.

"I don't tend to put on just generic sessions for the sake of it - I try to work on something specific every time we go out on the training pitch," says the 38-year-old.

"We try to work on game-realistic scenarios, which we're going to come up against. For instance, if teams put lots of balls over the top of the defence and we're going to deal with a lot of 1v1 scenarios, then that's exactly what they'll work on through the week.

"I just think nowadays, the sort of up-down sessions of the goalkeeping - where you just get up and get down for no apparent reason - are long gone. As a player I've probably done my fair share of those sessions, and there's nothing wrong with them. But I think the game's moved on. And I think now we've got to put the game realism behind the sessions and that's what I try to do.

"There's a bit of method behind the madness, really, rather than just going out there and making up a session. I like to work on stuff with a purpose and try and give the boys the scenarios that they're going to come up against in the match."

Another big facet of Letheren's role, especially on a matchday, is taking charge for set-pieces. Whenever Rovers are defending or attacking a free-kick or corner, you'll see the big Welshman replace McCann in the technical area and bellow out commandments.

This is another fairly modern trait, with more emphasis than ever placed on this aspect - and with good reason says Letheren.

"When I first came into the building, the manager handed me that role (set-pieces). And I've jumped into it with both feet. It's about daily research and what types of delivery do the opposition put in the box? what's their corner routines? Do they go short?

"If you look at set-pieces, they're a huge part of the game. Over 33 per cent of goals scored in League One are from attacking set-plays. So if a third of all goals come from that area why wouldn't you go through it and make sure that everybody knows their jobs and responsibilities each game?

"It's massive."

* To read the first part of our interview with Kyle, click here.