Ben Whiteman makes first virtual Rovers player visit at Doncaster primary school

Rovers midfielder Ben Whiteman surprised some year 5 and 6 students at a Doncaster Primary School when he joined their classroom via a video call on Thursday.

Under usual circumstances, players would take time out of their busy schedules to get into schools and speak to the newest generation of Rovers fans, but in light of Covid-19, a new online initiative has been launched. 

Students will now be able to chat to their favourite players via a video link that’s displayed on the classroom whiteboard, where they’re able to talk all things football and ask some questions.

Kelly Jackson-Powell, sport development officer at the Foundation, said: “Our player visits are very well received in the community, and being able to continue to do this safely is great for the children. 

“The class very much enjoyed it and were able to chat to Ben about his life as a professional footballer, and even asked him some cheeky questions!” 

“We’re looking forward to arranging some more in the future.”

Emma Smith, teacher of the Tiger class at Sunnyfields Primary, said: “We loved the opportunity today, the children came up with their own questions to ask Ben. 

“We’ve got quite a few footballers in our class so it was really good to hear some expert advice on how they can get better and how they can train better.”

The video of the visit will be made available to watch on YouTube on Saturday as part of Doncaster Rovers DDTV.