Cliff Byrne is impressed by the players he will be working with after joining Rovers as assistant manager.
Byrne has left a role in the Academy at Sunderland to reunite with his former teammate Grant McCann - the pair won promotion from Sky Bet League One while at Scunthorpe United - and was at Cantley Park on Friday to take part in training and complete the paperwork for his move.
“I am excited to get going and the first impressions are really good, Grant made contact with me early on in the week and it moved pretty smoothly from there really,” he said.
“Myself and Grant have a close bond, we share the same outlook on the game in how we want to go about things and it is a fantastic opportunity for me to come and work here with him.
“The main focus is to work with the manager, the coaching staff and getting into the first-team group, and my aim is to improve everybody individually and collectively.”
Byrne joins from fellow League One side Sunderland, and he wants to take his experiences with the youth sides at the Black Cats into this role.
“I have been working with Sunderland U23s, we had close links with the first-team, so you had a real feel for what they needed and a lot of the younger players really developed,” he added.
“That experience will help me in this job as we have a young squad here, so I am looking forward to getting in and improving on the good work that the club has already done at youth level.
“There is a lot of togetherness in this side which is important, the club is a well run club. They have a vocal and loyal support, and us as staff want to deliver.”
Rovers kick-off their Sky Bet League One campaign at Southend United on Saturday August 4, before their first home outing against Wycombe Wanderers the following Saturday.
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