Championship club Doncaster Rovers face an uphill task to convince Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given to drop down a division and join the club even if their proposed lucrative takeover by an Irish consortium goes through as expected this week.

Docnaster boss Paul Dickov confirmed to the media last week that they have made an enquiry with Villa about taking the player on a yearlong loan to aid their Championship campaign but admitted that they were still waiting to hear from the Villa shot stopper. According to Dickov, Doncaster Rovers contacted Aston Villa about taking Shay Given on loan for the season about two weeks back but they have yet to hear anything from either the club or the player.

And although he wants first team football, the former Newcastle United goalkeeper is not entirely sure about dropping down to the Championship just yet. Docnaster have been without a senior goalkeeper with their Championship campaign already underway and the club’s new potential Irish owners have made the Republic of Ireland international as their first choice.

According to sources in the Yorkshire region, the lucrative investment into the club could be finalized in the next 48 hours as well and with the Irish consortium taking charge, they are looking at Shay Given to garner support for the team back home in Ireland.

Given lost his # 1 shirt to American ‘keeper Brad Guzan last season and was handed the lowly # 35 shirt and was also told that he is free to leave the club before being asked to train on his own. Dickov has also denied that the club is looking to bring in Stephen Ireland from Aston Villa along with Shay Given, stating that since they are friends, people are putting two and two together and speculating on the deal.

Championship club Doncaster Rovers have targeted former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given and Southampton front man Billy Sharp on loan as they look to add depth to the club to mount another challenge for a return to the top flight of English football.

Paul Dickov, the manager of the club has confirmed that they have made enquiries with their respective clubs to take the players on a season long loan deal but admitted that the deals are nowhere near completion. Given, a Republic of Ireland international, has fallen behind American goalkeeper Brad Guzan in the pecking order under Paul Lambert at Aston Villa. Meanwhile Sharp, who had a successful spell at Rovers before, scoring 41 times in 86 matches played last season on loan at fellow Championship club Nottingham Forest.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, the former Manchester City player stated that they were still waiting to hear back from the respective clubs. He mentioned that the club made an enquiry to bring Shay Given to the club on loan a couple of weeks back before adding that Sharp is a player who is thought of highly at the club and the club did lodge an official offer of a loan deal sometime back as well.

The striker left the club in 2012 to join the Saints as he helped them win promotion back to the Premier League but he only got a handful of matches in the top flight before being farmed out on loan. However, Dickov has denied that he has any interest in bringing Stephen Ireland, a former Manchester City midfielder who currently plays with Shay Given at Aston Villa to the club.

He vehemently denied that there were any enquiries into the availability of Ireland, who is a friend of the manager and added that the media is putting two and two together.