Who is Doncaster Rovers' new striker Joe Dodoo?

Joe Dodoo is a nimble, dynamic attacking player capable of making powerful runs through both the centre and the wide areas. While he has predominantly featured as a left winger throughout his career, he’s also a good option to play as an out-and-out striker.

He provides a dimension to the Rovers’ game that simply was not present before. His pace, combined with his ability to strike a ball make him a nuisance for defenders to deal with. If you’re not convinced, take a look at some of the goals he scored for Rangers – there’s a few real peaches.

Given Rovers’ current position, there is a lot of pressure on Dodoo to perform. As Doncaster manager Richie Wellens is already familiar with the 26-year-old, Rovers fans can remain hopeful that he knows how to utilise him to his full potential.

A promising career start

Dodoo began his footballing career at Leicester City. He joined the Foxes in 2013, but would have to wait two years before making a first team appearance.

When he finally made his debut, it came in style. Playing against Bury in the league cup, he scored an emphatic hattrick and notched up an assist in a 4-1 victory. He impressed the Bury hierarchy so much that they set about signing him on loan for a short while afterwards.

Despite this fantastic debut, Leicester chose not to extend his contract. Instead, it was allowed to expire and he was subsequently snapped up by Rangers on a free transfer.

Joining the ‘Gers

In July 2016, Dodoo made the trip up to Scotland and was given a four-year-deal at the Ibrox. He once again scored in his debut, against East Sterlingshire in the Scottish League Cup.

In the league, he netted his first goals against Partick Thistle. Rangers were 1-0 down with 81 minutes to go, until Dodoo popped up with a sensational volley to level the scores. He then scored again at the death to secure a win for his team.

Unfortunately, this proved to be the peak of Dodoo’s Rangers career. In 2017, it was decided that he was to be loaned out to Charlton Athletic in League One.

Loan spells, a trip to Turkey, and now to Doncaster

While Dodoo did help the Addicks reach the playoff semi finals of the 2017/18 season, his time there was generally uneventful, as he scored just two goals in all competitions.

The following season, he was loaned out to Blackpool, having fallen out of favour at his parent club. He fared somewhat better there, finding the net on six occasions and registering four assists. However, it was not enough for him to win a new contract at Rangers (or Blackpool, for that matter) and he was released in September 2019.

He was signed up by financially-stricken Bolton Wanderers in October 2019, but it would be two months before he first got his name on the score sheet for them. Used almost exclusively as a winger, he managed to bag four goals and four assists before being part of the mass exodus at the end of Bolton’s 2019/20 season.

A brief spell in Turkey’s second tier was followed by a stint at another Lancashire club – Wigan Athletic. Once again, he mainly found himself on the left hand side of Wigan’s front three. As he was only given a one-year deal, Wigan decided not to renew his contract at the season’s conclusion. He remained a free agent until September 6th, 2021, when the Rovers gave him a two-year contract.

Will Joe Dodoo be a success at Doncaster? With such limited attacking options, he seems likely to slot into Wellens’ team immediately. He’ll get a chance to prove himself, there is no doubt about that. Now, it’s up to him as to whether he takes that chance.