Championship Striker Joins League Two Outfit On Season-Long Loan

Doncaster Rovers have today announced the signing of West Bromwich Albion centre-forward Modou Faal on a season-long loan.

Faal joins the Rovers having made two first-team appearances for the Baggies, including his debut in the Championship back in April of last season in a game against Sunderland.

This will be the fourth loan move of the 20-year-old’s professional career so far, having spent time at Hereford during the 2021/22 campaign and both Telford United and AFC Fylde last term.

It was at Fylde where the young centre-forward impressed the most, scoring 10 goals in 16 appearances as the non-league side were promoted to the National League once more.

Now, League Two poses a new challenge for the Gambian-born, 6’5″ striker who could be in Grant McCann’s squad ahead of tomorrow’s clash away at Newport County.

Comments from Faal

Speaking to club media at the announcement of his arrival, Faal was full of excitement to join Doncaster Rovers:

“I’m so happy to be here,” the 20-year-old said. “I just couldn’t wait to get the deal over the line as soon as I found out they were interested.

“It’s a great club and one I want to be a part of. I spoke to the gaffer and everything he said to me caught my eye and was what I was interested in.”

Grant McCann’s delight

Head coach McCann also commented on the signing of Faal, giving reasons why the West Brom academy product will be a superb addition to his first-team squad:

“I’m delighted to get Mo in. He’s a player I’ve watched closely this past year.

“He’s got real physical presence, pace and aggression and a great ability to score goals. He’s a great fit for the way that we play. Mo was part of an AFC Fylde team that won the league so he’s got that determination to win and improve.

“We’ve had to fight off stiff competition from League One and the Scottish Premier League to secure his services.”

Writer’s View

This will be Faal’s first real experience of playing consistently in the English Football League.

The youngster did incredibly well at Fylde, scoring a goal every 1.6 games but the sixth-tier and League Two are incomparable in terms of quality so it will certainly be interesting to see how he adapts to the demands of the fourth division.