Doncaster Rovers have completed a double piece of January business, confirming the permanent signings of defender Bayley McCann and midfielder Darren Robinson.
Robinson arrives from Championship outfit Derby County, and could well make an immediate debut this weekend. The two arrivals mark Rovers’ first moves of the winter window as Grant McCann begins to shape his squad for the second half of the campaign.
Rovers have secured the permanent signing of Robinson from Derby County. The 21-year-old central midfielder has signed a deal running until the summer of 2028 and could be involved as soon as Sunday, when Doncaster host Luton Town.
Robinson is a Northern Ireland under-21 international and has featured once in the Championship for Derby. The majority of his senior football to date has come during loan spells with Hartlepool United and St Patrick’s Athletic, where he gained regular minutes and further first-team exposure.
Doncaster also announced the capture of McCann on a two-and-a-half year contract following his arrival from Barnsley. The 20-year-old left-sided defender is the son of the Rovers manager and has already built up significant senior experience at non-league level.
McCann will head straight back out on loan to Alfreton Town, where he has spent part of the current season. He has amassed more than 40 appearances in National League North, experience the club believe will aid his long-term development before he challenges for a first-team place at the Eco-Power Stadium.
Rovers have also secured the permanent signing of Robinson from Derby County. The 21-year-old central midfielder has signed a deal running until the summer of 2028 and could be involved as soon as Sunday, when Doncaster host Luton Town.
Robinson is a Northern Ireland under-21 international and has featured once in the Championship for Derby. The majority of his senior football to date has come during loan spells with Hartlepool United and St Patrick’s Athletic, where he gained regular minutes and further first-team exposure.
One for now, one for later
This double move feels sensible rather than flashy, which is often exactly what January business should look like. Darren Robinson is the headline addition, not because of reputation but because of profile. A 21-year-old central midfielder with Championship exposure, international youth leadership and a deal running to 2028 suggests proper planning rather than short-term patching. There is always risk attached to players stepping up after loans, but Robinson’s pathway feels measured, and the fact he has already been assessed around the training ground hints at due diligence rather than opportunism.
Bayley McCann’s signing will inevitably attract noise because of the surname, but judged on its own terms it is difficult to criticise. Rovers are not rushing him into the first team, they are committing to development, experience and patience. Leaving him at Alfreton keeps the focus on minutes and growth, not sentiment. If anything, this pair of deals point to a club thinking beyond the next six weeks, building a squad with layers and progression rather than chasing quick fixes. In a window often defined by panic, that calm approach might prove Doncaster’s smartest move of all.