Robbo's Rovers chance before January window

DERBY County midfielder Darren Robinson has linked up with Doncaster Rovers as he looks to secure a move to the League One club.

- By LEIGH CURTIS

Robinson was spotted sitting behind the dugout for the clash against Peterborough United at the weekend, sparking a flurry of speculation from Rovers fans about his identity.

The midfielder is now in the process of trying to impress Rovers boss Grant McCann ahead of the January window.

Robinson's first-team chances have become extremely limited with the Rams due to a midfield that features Ebou Adams, David Ozoh, Lewis Travis, Bobby Clark and Liam Thompson.

The 20-year-old is out of contract at Derby next summer and should an offer come in, it is expected he will move on when the market opens for business in the New Year.

Robinson joined St Patrick's Athletic in the summer and went on to make eight appearances for the club, all of them from the substitutes' bench.

He has made only four senior appearances for the Rams having come through the club's academy where he was awarded the Scholar of the Year accolade in his first two seasons.

The holding midfielder also featured regularly for the club's under-21s in Premier League Two. He has been sent out on loan by the Rams in order to gain first-team experience and last year joined National League side Hartlepool United.

However, that move only yielded six appearances. He has still been drafted into Northern Ireland's under-21s squad alongside Bayley McCann, the son of Rovers manager, Grant.

Speaking in the summer when he joined St Pat's, Robinson said he needed game-time.