PAUDIE O’Connor would be open to a possible City return next season.

The Leeds centre half has been limited to few opportunities so far at Valley Parade because of the number of loan players.

But he is happy to be reunited with Gary Bowyer, who signed him for Blackpool last summer, and has indicated he would consider coming back if the chance arose.

READ MORE: Bowyer wants to restore stability at City

O’Connor said: “I enjoy working under him. He’s a good man-manager and his style of play suits me, too.

“There is obviously a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season. Both here and at Leeds.

“We will sit down at the end of the season and see where we are at. But it is definitely something I will not rule out.”

The Irishman hopes to keep his place against Doncaster this afternoon after making only his second start in three months with the club.

With City having six loanees, one more than teams are permitted to name in a matchday squad, the youngster has regularly found himself the odd man out.

It has been a challenging scenario for O’Connor, who was brought in by David Hopkin early in the January window. He did not immediately realise the implications when Jacob Butterfield arrived from Derby on deadline day to take City over the limit.

O’Connor admitted: “I came in the next day but it still had not really clicked that a sixth loan had come in. A couple of others were the same.

“Then, the first game came round and it was clear the choice was going to be between having no striker on the bench or no defender. It was six of one and half a dozen of the other.

“It has been juggled a bit these past few weeks but it is not ideal. Those, though, are the cards we have been dealt.

“I have to put it down to experience. I will be able to look back and think, ‘I faced that situation’.

“I realised several of the loan players were key players and playing every week. Lads like Bally (David Ball), Lewis (O’Brien) and Payney (Jack Payne) were in the team.

“George (Miller) is someone who also brings something different with his style of play. It was never going to be easy for the manager.

“It is not like I could barge down the door and demand to know why I was not playing.

“It is not as if I was having a stinker and not performing. It was down to rules.

“It’s been a bit of a tricky one and something I had not really heard happening much at other clubs before.”

O’Connor’s first experience of working with Bowyer ended suddenly when the manager quit Blackpool after the opening game of the season.

“It was a shock when the gaffer left,” he added. “I won’t lie about that.

“We went to Wycombe on the opening day and did well, getting a 0-0 draw. But then we came in Monday morning and he had handed in his resignation.

“I was a bit concerned at first. But it was the same for everyone because Gary had brought most of us in and we had a turnover of about 15 signings (last summer).

“It was something different and something the players did not expect. But everyone dealt with it well.”

O’Connor will be up against one familiar face at Valley Parade – Leeds team-mate Mallik Wilks has scored 15 goals on loan with Doncaster.

O’Connor said: “We played in the under-23s together for six months to a year, so I know him quite well.

“He is among the goals. He has done all right for himself and I am delighted about that.

“Doncaster is a big game for a lot of reasons. They are going towards the play-offs and will want the three points, but so do we.”