Rover out for Fleetwood Town striker McManus?

Declan McManus has left Fleetwood Town on loan

McManus, 21, joined Rovers on a season-long loan deal on Thursday and is keen to show what he is made of back in his native Scotland.

Fleetwood have an option to bring the striker back in January but the out-of-favour forward, who has another year left on his contract at Town after joining the club from Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen last summer says he has been eager to get away from Highbury and have an opportunity to prove himself after finding himself on the fringes of Steven Pressley’s squad.

He said: “Yes, I was looking to go back out on loan.

“It’s not happening for me at Fleetwood, and that’s fair enough.

“You get that in football where sometimes you don’t fit.

“Now I need to go out and prove that the gaffer (Ray McKinnon) is right to put faith in me and that they’ve got a good signing.”

McManus made the perfect start to his Town career after scoring on his League One debut in their 1-1 opening-day draw with Southend in 2015.

But thus far the youngster has not fulfilled his potential in English football and returned to Scotland in January for his third loan spell at Morton.

He scored five times in 20 appearances and bagged the Scottish Championship Player of the Month award for February.

Pressley allowed McManus to spend time on trial at Stevenage this summer but they signed three strikers during the close season, scuppering any chance of a move for the Scot.

He returned to Highbury and made his first Fleetwood appearance since November in Saturday’s 4-1 win over National League North side Salford City but was not part of the 25-man Town squad that travelled to Holland for their pre-season tour on Sunday.

McManus says he has tried his best at Town but ultimately it is the manager’s choice whether he gets a shot.

He said: “I always try to do my best and convince anybody that’s judging me, but it’s not happening and that’s the gaffer’s choice down there, and you can’t argue with it.

“These things happen in football and every player goes through it at some stage.

“I just want to come here and prove whatever doubters I’ve got wrong, and do well for the gaffer and the club.”