EFL badge - Link to home

Doncaster Rovers travel to Blackpool in Sky Bet League 1 this weekend possessing a history-maker in their side, with James Coppinger on course for his 470th club appearance.

The evergreen midfielder became the club's record appearance holder in Football League and cup competitions last weekend in Rovers' FA Cup First Round game against non-league Stalybridge Celtic, but he is far from resting on his laurels.

What an amazing day.Thank you to everybody for the messages,and the fans for a fantastic ovation. #roverstillidie #469 ⚽️👌🏽

— James Coppinger (@Coppinger26) November 7, 2015

"I don’t want to say 469 and that’s me finished, no way!” Coppinger told the club's official website prior to making the landmark appearance.

“As long as the manager understands what I’m trying to do, I would love to keep playing for this club.

“You want to be successful and you want to win games.”

26 MINUTES: What a noise around the Keepmoat yesterday as we celebrated a record breaker #DRFC #469 pic.twitter.com/LtVG5Q9zI2

— Doncaster Rovers FC (@drfc_official) November 8, 2015

Coppinger signed for Rovers in the summer of 2004, joining from Exeter City, and has seen a lot during his time with the South Yorkshire outfit.

He has been an ever-present throughout one of the most successful periods in the club's history, winning two promotions and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and is also the only player remaining who transitioned from their former home, Belle Vue, to the Keepmoat.

But the 34-year-old is hungry for more, and is enjoying life under the recently-appointed Darren Ferguson, who has deployed Coppinger as part of a midfield trio of late.

Rovers sit 18th in the Sky Bet League 1 standings and have won two of the four games since Ferguson's arrival in the dugout, ahead of their weekend meeting with 20th-placed Blackpool.

“It’s important that if things aren’t working you can change things,” Coppinger added. “There’s been a lot of hard work on the training pitch and there’ll be a lot more to come.

“I played in a midfield three when we first got into the Championship under Sean O’Driscoll, there was me, Brian Stock and Richie Wellens so I’m familiar with the role and as I’m not getting any younger it helps, I can get on the ball and use my movement to my advantage.”

Follow what is set to be Coppinger's 470th Doncaster appearance, and the rest of the weekend's Sky Bet League 1 action, with us on Twitter via @SkyBetLeague1.