Ro-Shaun Williams is relishing the opportunity to add to his leadership skills as he seeks to help Rovers push for promotion from Sky Bet League Two this season.
Speaking to the media ahead of the trip to AFC Wimbledon this weekend, the centre half discussed his role in the team, the start to the season and the character of the group.
Williams on the defeat to Lincoln:
“It was a tough game and there was stuff that we could work on that we’ve gone through since.
“They were three poor goals. It’s not something we’ve shown signs of recently. In pre-season and the games before Tuesday, we’ve looked solid and organised.
On the make-up of the squad and emergence as more of a leader:
“We’ve got a young squad and it means the senior players like Tom, Clayts, Rowey have to step up and be big voices to help out the younger players.
“But the players in the middle ages like myself have to do that as well and take ownership and accountability.
“Tom has got five or six years on everyone so it’s good when he’s in the team. He knows the game, he’s a top player and a top pro who can help all the other defenders.
On showing character as a team:
“We’ve shown a lot of resilience in the game and been hard to beat.
“We’ve probably not played up to the levels we think we can reach as a team. We’ve still got players out injured.
“There’s positives so far but there’s still lots to work on.”
On the hunt for a more complete performance:
“It’s about working on bouncing back from the Lincoln game but also continuing our league form.
“Hopefully we can get a good result at the weekend and stay unbeaten.”
On learning from the challenges of last season:
“It was probably my best learning year in football. When I was playing towards the end of last season, I was probably one of the more senior players and that helped with my leadership skills and being more vocal.
“Even though it was a disappointing year, it helped me with my growth as a player.”