Doncaster Rovers: Grant McCann will hope Bristol City provide Hakeeb Adelakun replacement - View | OneFootball

Last season’s unlucky play-off semi-finalists climbed off the canvas and set about making amends for their disastrous second-leg defeat to Crewe Alexandra by starting their summer in lightning-fast fashion.

The South Yorkshire side sprinted through much of their to-do list before the transfer window opened.

Manager Grant McCann has prioritised the return of some of his favourite players: exciting attacker Luke Molyneux has put pen to paper on a new deal with the club, and Tom Nixon has completed a permanent move from Hull City.

Already, McCann has shown intent to pull the band of players that instigated Rovers' late-season surge for the play-offs back together. He has added Jordan Gibson, Joe Sbarra, and Harry Clifton to a tight-knit group packed with quality.

Rovers racked up ten consecutive league victories through March and April as they raced out of a relegation battle into the promotion mix.

In January, before the team’s unprecedented run, energetic wide man Hakeeb Adelakun was drafted in on loan to provide a creative boost. Adelakun’s arrival from Lincoln City energised the Doncaster Rovers side, and he played a pivotal role in the team’s drastic upturn in form.

With the 28-year-old expected to move elsewhere this summer, McCann has had to fill an Adelakun-size hole.

By completing the signing of 17-year-old winger Ephraim Yeboah on loan from Bristol City, Doncaster Rovers have proactively looked to solve the Adelakun issue. The youngster featured ten times in the Championship last campaign, and he could prove to be far too good for the fourth tier.

That said, he will have big boots to fill in the wake of Adelakun's departure.

Adelakun set the bar high for Yeboah

Adelakun’s importance to Doncaster Rovers last season should not be understated.

When the 28-year-old joined the South Yorkshire side on loan from Lincoln City in January, his signing flew largely under the radar. At the time, his career had hit a wall, and he appeared to be an uninspiring addition made by a struggling League Two team.

Adelakun had been stuck in a rut; the winger found the back of the net just once in 21 appearances on loan at Gillingham during the 2022-23 campaign and had shown little attacking threat on his return to Sincil Bank.

McCann brought him in as a stopgap with Doncaster Rovers struggling. There was little risk posed by taking a chance on Adelakun, and his pacey profile made him an alternative option in attack.

For the former Scunthorpe United man, this could have conceivably been his last move in the EFL. Had Adelakun continued his poor form in South Yorkshire, his stock would have fallen further, and he may have had to drop out of the Football League to find another interested team.

Yet, when offered a lifeline by McCann, he grasped the Doncaster Rovers opportunity with both hands and hit the ground running. His nine goals and seven assists propelled the team into play-off contention and his energy seemed to seep through the starting side.

It is a shame that many Rovers fans will remember the forward for his last action: Adelakun’s tamely struck penalty against Crewe spelled the end of Doncaster's season and cost the team a potential place in the play-off final.

Although the Roberto Baggio-esque snapshot of Adelakun standing on the penalty spot before burying his face in his shirt will hang in the memory, without his transfer the team's unlikely run to a sixth-place finish would have been impossible.

If his replacement, Yeboah, can emulate Adelakun’s form during Doncaster’s unbeaten run, the club will be firmly in the promotion picture at the end of next season.

Doncaster Rovers may have stumbled upon a star

Doncaster Rovers may have struck gold by signing Yeboah on a temporary deal. The Italian-born attacker has no visible ceiling to his ability and might take League Two by storm.

At 17, Yeboah is still a raw talent and will benefit from the opportunity to play in a team expected to challenge for promotion. If he is deployed wide in McCanns' 4-2-3-1 system, with a similar license to stay high out of possession to his predecessor, Adelakun, the young attacker will be an excellent outlet and an exciting threat on the break.

Strong and direct, Yeboah is forward-thinking and will look to take on his man and drive into the penalty area. The winger’s short-term loan spell at Bath City showcased his ability to contribute with goals and assists, and he will only become more refined with a run in the starting side.

The Bristol City academy graduate is a powerful dribbler, and he will enjoy playing off a physical striker. Joe Ironside will make an excellent foil for the youngster, and Yeboah should find success driving in off the flank, linking up with Rovers’ focal point.

Doncaster Rovers and Grant McCann have an exceptional loan record

Throughout his first term as Doncaster Rovers boss, during the 2019-20 campaign, McCann relied on the loan market to shape his squad. He found success by borrowing emerging talent from higher-league clubs.

Malik Wilks and Herbie Kane played under McCann that season, on loan from Leeds United and Liverpool, respectively. Since they departed from Doncaster, the pair have combined for more than 290 Football League appearances.

McCann has an eye for footballers on the rise; his excellent track record developing young players has earned him the trust of Bristol City.

Yeboah’s loan deal should be mutually beneficial for all parties. The attacker will return to Bristol City with much-needed EFL experience under his belt. While Doncaster Rovers have bolstered their attacking ranks, sourced a replacement for Adelakun, and cemented their reputation as a welcoming club for exciting loanees.