New signing Rob Jones spoke exclusively to Rovers Player and revealed he’s excited by this new challenge facing him.
‘Dean is someone that has lots of experience and did very well during his time at Wrexham. When a manager of that stature wants you to come and play for his club it’s very exciting.’
Having captained his Sheffield Wednesday side to promotion back to the Championship last term, Rob is hoping to use that experience to do the same at Rovers.
‘It was a fantastic season. You can take a lot of experience from the success I had last year in getting the club back into the Championship, not just as a player but in captaining the side as well. That is what we want to do now here at the Rovers.
‘League One is a tough division. There are a lot of good teams and it’s very physical, but there are a lot of teams that like to get the ball down and play so you have to balance it up.
‘It’s going to be tough, the teams that have come down from the Championship and the teams coming up from League Two are teams that are strong and big, so it will be a hard season’.
Having captained all the teams he has previously played for, Rob revealed that the armband does not change the way he approaches games.
‘I’ve captained every club that I have been at. I’ve got a will to win like every footballer does. I air my views, like most footballers I’m very outspoken, so captaining a club is fantastic. Last year captaining the team to promotion was superb, but whether I have the armband or not it won’t make any difference as a player.’
The opportunity to join Rovers is one that Jones sees as an exciting prospect and one that will help him progress.
‘On reflection it was a fantastic season for me and for the club, but sometimes you get opportunities to progress and move on in the way that you want to. This was an option that excited me, and it gave me a chance to come here, to a great stadium, good fanbase and a good club – sometimes it’s time to move on.
‘There’s an abundance of good players here all with Championship pedigree - I think they’ve shown that in the last three or four seasons.
‘I watched the game at the weekend and I didn’t think there was much between the two sides, which bodes well for the future.
‘I already know a few of the players here. Shelton Martis and I were centre-back partners at Hibs, obviously Tommy Spurr from his time at Wednesday, and I spoke to Kyle Bennett, so there’s an abundance of talent at the football club.
‘I’m sure everybody here wants to push on and get back to where we were last year and the year before.
‘I had a really good time in Scotland, we finished in the top six, I scored the opening goal in our League Cup win, but more importantly I forged a great partnership with Shelton, so it will be nice to be re-united with him.
‘I like the fact that I can score goals. I never shy away from it just because I’m a defender. I’d like to think I can chip in with my fair share’.