Doncaster Rovers ace Tommy Rowe on life at centre-back and getting better at 34

Club captain Rowe spent two and a half months sidelined before making his long-awaited comeback at the start of this month.

The 34-year-old slotted straight back into the starting XI for the matches against Walsall and Newport County, underlining his continued importance to the team despite his advancing years in football terms.

He said: “All the time I’m at the club is learning time for me.

"There’s no time to come in and just enjoy being a footballer, those days don’t exist.”

Rovers chief Danny Schofield revealed Rowe had been taking notes in team meetings as he presented his methods to the players early in his tenure.

"Every day we spend at the club we are here to learn and improve,” said Rowe.

"This place (Cantley Park, Doncaster’s training ground) is an elite performance centre for that.

"In those two months I was out I was improving because I was watching what was going on, I was listening to what the players were saying and taking on that feedback.

"That helped me go into these games with a greater understanding of what to expect.”

Rowe has further demonstrated his versatility by playing on the left of a back three since his return.

Discussing the role and its demands, he said: “I’m a left-footed player, so it gives me scope to find passes down the side.

"When you have got predominantly right-sided players it gives you that option where you can step in and play a bit more.”

Rowe, who has previously played at left-back, has also been given a license to get forward by his boss.

He said: “All around that area I’m comfortable in terms of wanting to play there.

"I would love a team to let me venture forward all the time but the likelihood is a team and a manager would have seen the way we play and will try and put some defensive scheme in to stop that.”

Rowe revealed he has been used as a left-sided centre-back at three different clubs and added: “It’s about how you can improve the position as well as just playing it.”