Rovers can confirm the appointment of John Schofield as Senior Professional Development Coach.
Schofield, who made more than 100 appearances for Rovers between 1994 and 1997, will work with the club’s younger players.
He said: “The job is a mixture of working with the youth players and young pros, it is part of creating a link between them and the first team and trying to help them bridge that gap.
“There are some great people here – still some from when I played! It has a welcoming and progessive feel about it, plus Paul Stancliffe and Mick Tarmey have been brilliant.”
For Schofield, the progression the club has made since he wore the red and white hoops is part of why he came back to Rovers.
He said: “What a fantastic training ground and venue we have. I’m a Yorkshireman and know what the people are like – friendly, so long as you work hard and can see you are having a right go at the job. And there’s certainly a lot of people here doing that.
“It has come on leaps and bounds, and the foresight of the club has been fantastic. The foundations are in place to really succeed.”
And Schofield is excited to work with a first-team manager in Darren Ferguson who is willing to give young players a chance.
Schofield added: “Our young players can see a path to the first-team. The manager involves the young players in everything he does, he involves them in sessions, speaks to us a lot about them and makes sure it is a comfortable environment for them.
“People sometimes forget that it can be a big step from the youth training pitch to the first-team training pitch. But because our youth players train on a regular basis with the first-team they become more accustomed to the environment - and we are seeing that already in individual progress.”
Kieran Scarff, head of Rovers’ Academy, added: “I’d like to welcome John to the Club, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge.
“His energy, passion and enthusiasm will undoubtedly rub off on players and staff alike.”
Get your tickets to watch James Coppinger's likely 500th Rovers game for Rovers, at Morecambe on Saturday, or our celebrations the following Saturday as Newport County AFC visit the Keepmoat Stadium.