Doncaster Rovers capture of Huddersfield Town man shows blueprint for survival | OneFootball

Doncaster Rovers have been busy this summer, with seven new signings already through the door.

Doncaster Rovers have been busy this summer, with seven new signings already through the door.

They range from young hot-shots on their first loan to returning fan-favourites, but one stands out straight off the bat.

Matty Pearson leads way in experience

The signing of defender Matty Pearson after his exit from Huddersfield Town is a superb piece of business from Grant McCann and his backroom staff, providing the blueprint to survival in Sky Bet League One.

Doncaster were promoted as champions last season, clinching the title with a final-day victory at Notts County after beating also-promoted Bradford City to secure their place in the third tier one week prior.

Now the order of the day is consolidating their place back in League One, and Pearson’s signing allows on-lookers to paint a picture of how that can be best achieved.

Experience is key.

And, Pearson has that in buckets. The 31-year-old has played close to 100 games in the third tier, with 193 in the Championship also on his extensive CV.

The centre-back has left the Terriers after four seasons and 135 appearances. It is a healthy, consistent flow of games which points to Pearson being a welcome addition at Doncaster, adding to the calibre that the likes of Billy Sharp have in the Rovers’ squad.

Doncaster Rovers finding blueprint for League One survival

Pearson slides perfectly into the Rovers defence, replacing the hole left by the retiring Richard Wood and Shrewsbury Town’s new man Tom Anderson, who opted to stay in League Two rather than following Doncaster back into the third tier.

The former League One winner has extensive gametime on the books of Luton Town, Halifax Town, and Accrington Stanley, while he has also played for Rovers’ South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley during his career.

Pearson can be the blueprint for Doncaster, providing an experience that is vitally important to survival. Rovers have a wealth of young and hungry talent, many of whom have not experienced football at League One level.

Therefore, having a player around who has proved himself in the division over recent seasons is a massive bonus for McCann’s men as they prepare for the step-up in quality after their title-winning campaign.

Grant McCann has been busy in the transfer market

Doncaster most recently added a young duo to their squad. Tottenham Hotspur youngster Damola Ajayi, who has a Europa League goal and medal next to his name, entered the Eco-Power Stadium ahead of defender Sean Grehan.

The latter joined for an undisclosed fee from Crystal Palace, solving the mystery of who the permanent centre-back signing from the Premier League was, and adding quality and plenty of upsides that he showed in a loan spell at Bohemians in the League of Ireland.

Ajayi and Grehan were signings six and seven of the summer, following winger Glenn Middleton, central midfielder Robbie Gotts, loanee goalkeeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala, front-man Brandon Hanlan, and Pearson into the club.

Hanlan, who is now 28 years old, is another example of League One experience being added to the Rovers squad. He joined after leaving Wycombe Wanderers, but spent a portion of last season on loan at fellow third tier outfit Stevenage.

The attacker furthers the case Pearson helps to make, with experience in the division over recent years one of the key threads in the varied and impressive recruitment McCann has managed already this summer.