The flamboyant Rovers owner's smile lit up Wembley following the Keepmoat outfit's never-to-be-forgotten League One play-off final success over Leeds United in late May, which booked them a place at the second tier of football for the first time for half a century.

Having got there, Ryan says the last thing Rovers intend doing is just making up the numbers – and has scoffed at the doubters who are confidently predicting a quick return to League One.

Ryan watched with interest the rise of Gary Johnson's Robins last term, with the West Countrymen 90 minutes away from the Premiership Promised Land – just 12 months after competing in League One, which had been their home for almost a decade.

Hull – runners-up to Rovers in their League Two title-winning campaign of 2003/04 – are the ultimate proof that sides who have slugged it out in the lower leagues can prosper and claim the ultimate prize.

Other former League One members to have cut the Championship mustard include Wigan and Fulham, while others of infinitely less resources such as Colchester and Rotherham – who were knocking on the door of the play-offs in 2002/03 – have also flirted with breaking into the top-six.

So it's small wonder Ryan is not taking it as read that Rovers will be settling for consolidation and survival.

Given Doncaster's thrilling five-year upward ascent – which has yielded two play-off final victories, a championship, a Johnstone's Paints Trophy triumph and a memorable run to the last eight of the Carling Cup – many would expect Ryan and Rovers' hunger to have been sated for the time being.

But Ryan refuses to aim low and is eager for the glorious joyride to continue.

He told Yorkshire Sport: "It's a great feeling basking in the knowledge that we are now a Championship club after 50 years.

"It's been a long, hard road – I've been chairman of the club now for ten years, but it's wonderful to get there."

And on the aims in 2008-09 for Rovers – who got their Championship bandwagon rolling with a headline-inducing 1-0 win at Derby in front of 33,000 last Saturday – ebullient Ryan quipped: "To win the league, of course!"

"Everyone is saying we are going to be relegation favourites, which is fair enough. But I think there's a great belief in the lads that we can do a lot better than that and do a Bristol City.

"They were no great shakes when we were in the same division.

"Looking at it from one aspect, if we stay up, I'll be delighted. But we want to do better than that.

"To a degree, our home form will be important. But we've always done well away from home and with the way we play we could be a surprise package this year.

"Sean (O'Driscoll) is a really intelligent guy and manager.