‘I get a lot of stick but you can’t wing it at 38. It takes hard work, endeavour and passion’
James Coppinger is out to add Palace scalp to long list of fond memories during 15-year career at Doncaster
He is known as “Mr Doncaster Rovers” and, after nearly 15 years and more than 500 appearances at the South Yorkshire club, James Coppinger has pretty much seen it all. Three promotions, three relegations, seven managers, two Wembley appearances, an emotional stadium move and sharing a dressing room with El Hadji Diouf have given Coppinger enough memories to last a lifetime.
He turned 38 last month and retirement is not on his mind, despite his contract being up at the end of this season. Coppinger is continuing to prove an integral part of the Rovers midfield, with the club sixth in League One and preparing for an FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace today. But despite that, his team-mates still will not go easy on him.
“I get a lot of stick for being the age I am, the lads are always making jokes about walking sticks and things like that. Whenever there’s an old man around the training ground, they start pointing and saying it’s me,” he says.
“The lifespan of a footballer allegedly finishes at 35, and I changed my pension at that age. But you can’t wing it at 38, it comes with hard work, endeavour and passion. I think the players here respect me for the way I apply myself.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are, when you’re doing something that you love, you get the best out of yourself. I got player of the year at 36 and 37, so to still be playing at 38 isn’t bad, is it?”
Coppinger’s time at Doncaster has been a triumph of professionalism and commitment since he joined for just £30,000 from Exeter City in May 2004.
There have been so many highs and lows but the attacking midfielder has been a reassuring presence, perhaps even underrated for his influence in and around the club, despite so many changes over the years.
This is his 15th successive season as a Rover, with only a brief loan spell at Nottingham Forest interrupting his love affair with the club.
“There have been so many changes, people come and go, but I seem to have been the only one who has stood the test of time,” he says.
“New managers come in and you have to reinvent yourself. I’ve played in numerous positions and been open to adapting my game in various positions to suit the team.
“I’ve never been an individual, I’ve always been a team player. I’ve been happy here for 15 years and it’s never been about the money.
“I’ve got three kids [Finley, Isaac and Phoebe] and they keep me young. I want to show them what I can still achieve.”
An FA Cup giant-killing today would represent another memorable moment for Coppinger, with Doncaster aiming to preserve their remarkable record at the Keepmoat Stadium – they have not lost at home since Oct 23 and have won eight of their past 10 games there. Roy Hodgson, be warned.
“Palace is a huge game for the club, it has been 63 years since we last reached the fifth round of the FA Cup. It’s a massive opportunity and I can’t emphasise enough how important it is that we’re at home.
“This competition is one we’ve never done really well in since I came here and we want to change all that. At this stage of my career, we want to try to go a step further and make it to the quarter-finals.”
Doncaster’s Cup run this year has evoked fond memories of their historic exploits in the 2005-06 season, under former manager Dave Penney. That season they reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup, beating Aston Villa and Manchester City and taking Arsenal to penalties at their old Belle Vue ground.
“We were seconds away from going through, it was so frustrating,” Coppinger said. “Against Arsenal, we were 2-1 up until the final minute of extra time, we had the ball in their corner trying to waste time. They got the ball back, went up the field and equalised.
“There is a similar feel to the run this year, and playing another Premier League club in Palace is a huge incentive for all of us.”
There is only one season at Rovers which Coppinger reflects on negatively – the 2011-12 campaign, when manager Dean Saunders utilised the contacts of agent Willie McKay to bring in a number of foreign players.
Doncaster were relegated to League One with three games left, amid allegations of a huge divide in the dressing room.
“We had Diouf, Pascal Chimbonda, Habib Beye, a lot of other players. Let’s just say it was an experimental year. It didn’t work out and it wasn’t a good time to be at Doncaster, if I’m being honest. I think times like that make you stronger as a team, a squad and a club.”
Coppinger’s focus now remains on helping take Doncaster back to the Championship, before the annual decision over his future. Negotiations with Grant McCann, the manager, over a new 12-month deal are expected soon and, for Coppinger, there is no sense of the end being in sight just yet.
“I always take it season by season. I never get up in the morning feeling aches and pains. I still feel fresh and fit. I don’t feel the need to stop playing just because I’m 38.
“I’ve played regularly this season bar one or two games and trained every day.
“We’ve got a great group of players and staff and if the club want to offer me a contract, I’d definitely play next season.
“When the day comes that I’m not enjoying it any more, then I’ve got a decision to make, but I’m nowhere near that.”
‘We had Chimbonda, Diouf, Beye and a lot of others in 2011-12. Let’s just say it was an experimental year’