Doncaster Rovers are in search of a new manager after the departure of Grant McCann to Hull City.

It is bad news for the club who were on the up after making the League One play-offs in McCann's first season in charge, and were unfortunate to not go further than that.

The next manager has a difficult job to try and maintain the momentum built up, and persuade key players like John Marquis to stay.

Doncaster have only been back in League One for two years but they are an exciting prospect for most managers in the EFL to take on. They have great players in the squad and they're doing well off the pitch, so they won't be short of candidates.

The board will likely be in search of promotion next season. It's been six years since Rovers were last in the Championship but if they hold onto their key performers and bring in the right man, they stand a chance.

So, who should the club try and go for? Here are three potential candidates they should seek out.

Dave Challinor

The Fylde manager has done an astounding job in the north-west, and he has many positive attributes which should appeal to Doncaster.

Firstly, he plays attacking football that is a pleasure to watch, which is a rarity in non-league. He knows his philosophy and his players and he sticks to it even if results take a turn for a worse.

That mentality is very respectable and has led to success for Challinor. He won promotion from the National League North with Fylde in 2017 and has since finished in the National League play-offs two years running - making the final last season which ended in defeat to Salford.

Added to that, he claimed victory in the FA Trophy this season, and in the 2017/18 season Fylde finished as top scorers, so there would be plenty to get excited about if he became the new manager.

Micky Mellon

Mellon would be a superb appointment, but he would likely need some persuading to lure him away Birksenside, where he has done a brilliant job.

Back-to-back promotions is a tremendous achievement, and to do it at a club like Tranmere, who had been on a spiral downwards for such a long time makes it a very special achievement.

He is a manager who gets the best out of the players he works with. James Norwood never looked like a 30-goal a season striker before Mellon worked with him, and he has also changed the fortunes for players like Conor Jennings and Jake Caprice.

If given the opportunity at Rovers he could do the same there, and with the momentum that he builds up if they reached the play-offs again he could add that something extra to get them over the line - after all his two Tranmere promotions came via the play-offs.

Paul Heckingbottom

This is another manager who may be difficult to lure to the Keepmoat, but another spell in Yorkshire could be enough to bring him in.

Heckingbottom has a promotion from League One under his CV having got Barnsley promoted in 2016, and he also consolidated them in the division, a feat which many Barnsley managers have been unable to achieve in the past few years.

However, he would still present a bit of a risk. He has only really done well at Barnsley. At Leeds he wasn't given much time but still failed to deliver, and so far his time at Hibernian is going down a similar path.

He would have a good squad to work with however and if he can get the best out of his players Rovers would likely be a good bet for the play-offs under his stewardship.