Nomadic Former Imp Set For League One Return – Could Face City In March

Former Imp Hakeeb Adelakun is set to return to League One with Doncaster Rovers after a short but effective spell at Cheltenham Town.

The winger, who left Sincil Bank in 2024, looks poised to reunite with Grant McCann’s side following his final appearance for the Robins at the weekend.

He signed off his two-month stay at Cheltenham Town by coming off the bench and scoring in a 3-0 home win over Crawley Town, a fitting end to a short-term deal that delivered exactly what was required. Adelakun arrived at Whaddon Road in November after starting the season without a club following his departure from Salford City, and quickly made himself useful, scoring three goals across league wins against Barrow, Shrewsbury Town and Crawley.

Adelakun spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Doncaster Rovers from the Imps, and his impact at the Eco-Power Stadium was immediate and decisive. He scored nine goals in 18 starts during that spell, becoming a key figure as Rovers surged up the table and into the League Two play-offs. That form caused them to offer him a permanent deal, which he surprisingly turned down in favour of Salford City.

He scored 13 times for the Ammies in 32 appearances before turning down their contract offer in favour of joining the PFA free agents course. He eventually rocked up at Cheltenham in a move that was always understood to be temporary. Steve Cotterill managed Adelakun’s minutes carefully as he worked his way back to full fitness, but the Robins boss was clear that the deal had worked for all parties involved. Adelakun got minutes, goals and a platform, while Cheltenham picked up points and momentum during a difficult period of the season.

Now 29, Adelakun’s likely return to Doncaster underlines how effective his previous spell there was, especially given they’re willing to sign him after he turned them down once before. Whether fans will be forgiving is another matter, but if he gets the goals and assists that pull them away from the relegation zone, they’ll not care.

It means he’s set for a date against the Imps on March 28th. He loves going up against a former boss, having scored against Michael Appleton, the manager who signed him and froze him out, for the Imps and recently for Cheltenham. He played ten times for Michael Skubala, the last appearance being the nadir away at Blackpool, the final game two years ago before the resurgence really started.