Opposition manager in show of support for Rotherham United's Matt Hamshaw

Doncaster Rovers' board kept faith with their boss early in his tenure two years ago even though there were fears that the team could be sliding towards relegation to League Two.

He rewarded their trust with a run to the play-offs that season and then promotion as fourth-tier champions last term.

Matt Hamshaw has just begun his overhaul of the Millers and McCann said: "Patience is the most important thing when you're coming into a club and inheriting other people's players and trying to set a different culture.

“Everyone's got their own view. It's very difficult. We found that in the first six months we came here.”

The 45-year-old was speaking after Rovers had beaten 19th-placed Rotherham 1-0 in the South Yorkshire derby at the Eco-Power Stadium last Saturday to move into the top six.

He is an admirer of Hamshaw who won four League One promotions as a coach - three with the Millers and one with Derby County - before accepting his first managerial role in March.

Rotherham go into Saturday's home clash with Exeter City seeking to improve on a record that has seen them fail to win in the league since August 2 opening day.

Hamshaw, is moulding a new team after making 13 signings during the summer transfer window and has consistently stated that there will be ups and downs during the process of repairing the damage caused by two seasons of failure.

McCann – who had one of the Millers’ new coaches, Richard Wood, as a player at Rovers – agreed and said: “I think what's important is that you stick to your beliefs in what you're trying to set out to do. Then the tide turns.

“I've no doubt it will happen. They've got a really good coaching team with Tongey (Dale Tonge) and Woody (Richard Wood) - good people. You hope that good things come for them and I've no doubt that they will.”