Doncaster boss predicts 'huge season' for Bristol City talent as he reveals process behind loan

Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann has revealed the League Two club watched Ephraim Yeboah “religiously” before agreeing to take the talented Bristol City forward on a season-long loan.

Yeboah will be a Donny player for 2024/25 as City have found a temporary home for the 17-year-old, who burst onto the scene at the start of last season. The academy graduate made 12 substitute appearances under Nigel Pearson before being loaned to Bath City over the second half of the campaign, while also starring in the Under-18s' run to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals.

He joins a Doncaster side who finished fifth in the division, qualifying for the play-offs where they were beaten by Crewe Alexandra, and adds to McCann’s attacking options, with the former Northern Ireland international seeking the opinion of former Cheltenham Town teammate and Romans manager Jerry Gill in doing his background checks on Yeboah.

The move also reunites the teenager with former head of medical Dave Rennie who has been in a similar position at the Eco-Power Stadium since December.

“When we’re trying to recruit in that area, we like to have options. We wanted to bring more competition there. We had lots of names on our list but Ephraim’s name came back to us and he’s a boy that obviously we’ve watched religiously for a while,” McCann said.

“We’ve seen his directness, his power, when he was playing for Bristol City in the Championship and doing well for them in the games he played, and he had a really good loan last season at Bath, with a manager who I played with, back in the day at Cheltenham, in Jerry Gill.

“So we kept an eye on him, David Rennie knows him from Bristol City so we knew from a character point of view that he’ll fit into the changing room.

“We like everything about him; he’s quick, he's very direct, I think he’ll get the fans off their seat, he can play off the left, off the right, he can play as a nine, he can play as a 10, so he’s really versatile in terms of how he plays. Powerful boy, so I think he’s a really good signing for us and one we’re really excited about.”

Yeboah only signed his first professional contract with City last July before being thrust into the first-team picture by Pearson due, in-part to an early season injury to Andi Weimann, but the sight of the former Bristol Inner City academy player emerging in the second half became commonplace.

Liam Manning took a more cautionary approach with him, moving him back into the academy set-up before he was sent on loan to Twerton Park to continue his education in the National League South where he scored twice in 10 appearances.

Yeboah has tended to play as a right-sided forward, but increasingly migrated into the centre of the pitch when playing for the U18s and at Bath City. Considering McCann listed him alongside wingers Kyle Hurst, Luke Molyneux and new arrival Jordan Gibson, it would seem that's the role he has in mind for him at this point.

From a personal point of view, it’s a big step for Yeboah given it’s his first move away from home in Bristol and to spend a significant period of time in an EFL environment where, given his status as a summer signing rather than an emerging academy talent, there’ll be a degree of expectation to perform.

“It’s his first step, really, into the Football League,” McCann added. “I know he’s played 12 games at Bristol City but it’s the first time he’s moved away from home but he’s certainly ready for the step; he’s powerful, he’s quick. He can handle himself. The physio was telling me this morning that he’s a strong boy so I think he’ll be really, really good for us and gives us a tremendous option.

“When we’re looking in that area, we want people who can cause teams problems and Ephraim will certainly do that. We’ve got really good options there now. His loan last season at Bath was really good for him. He’s gone down to that level and really handled the physicality side of it. His attitude, his demeanour and his confidence, he plays with a swagger - which we like - he’s fearless, he wants to get after people, he wants to take people on.

“But the other thing that stood out in his reports and the games we watch is his energy to press, it’s something we really need in those types of areas so I think it’s a really good fit.

“Bristol City have been brilliant; Brian Tinnion, when I’ve been speaking to him, and Liam Manning, they were really keen on him coming here. We feel the way our team plays really suits Ephraim and the way he plays will really suit us so it’s a really good match. He’s an exciting young prospect who we think will have a huge season with us.”

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