Doncaster Rovers targets loan deals

Championship club Doncaster Rovers have targeted former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given and Southampton front man Billy Sharp on loan as they look to add depth to the club to mount another challenge for a return to the top flight of English football.

Paul Dickov, the manager of the club has confirmed that they have made enquiries with their respective clubs to take the players on a season long loan deal but admitted that the deals are nowhere near completion. Given, a Republic of Ireland international, has fallen behind American goalkeeper Brad Guzan in the pecking order under Paul Lambert at Aston Villa. Meanwhile Sharp, who had a successful spell at Rovers before, scoring 41 times in 86 matches played last season on loan at fellow Championship club Nottingham Forest.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, the former Manchester City player stated that they were still waiting to hear back from the respective clubs. He mentioned that the club made an enquiry to bring Shay Given to the club on loan a couple of weeks back before adding that Sharp is a player who is thought of highly at the club and the club did lodge an official offer of a loan deal sometime back as well.

The striker left the club in 2012 to join the Saints as he helped them win promotion back to the Premier League but he only got a handful of matches in the top flight before being farmed out on loan. However, Dickov has denied that he has any interest in bringing Stephen Ireland, a former Manchester City midfielder who currently plays with Shay Given at Aston Villa to the club.

He vehemently denied that there were any enquiries into the availability of Ireland, who is a friend of the manager and added that the media is putting two and two together.