Confident AJ Greaves intends to fill gap left at Doncaster Rovers by Ben Whiteman

Doncaster Rovers midfielder Anthony Greaves is as no-nonsense behind a microphone as with a ball anywhere near him.
AMBITIOUS: Doncaster's AJ Greaves, in action against Rochdale at the Keepmoat on Tuesday. Picture: Howard Roe/AHPIX LTDAMBITIOUS: Doncaster's AJ Greaves, in action against Rochdale at the Keepmoat on Tuesday. Picture: Howard Roe/AHPIX LTD
AMBITIOUS: Doncaster's AJ Greaves, in action against Rochdale at the Keepmoat on Tuesday. Picture: Howard Roe/AHPIX LTD

The 20-year-old from Sheffield was an unused substitute a few times in 2018-19 and played twice in last season’s Football League Trophy. But only on Tuesday did he make his first league start.

Sadly, he cannot appear in the FA Cup at West Ham United having already played for Gainsborough Trinity in the competition.

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“I knew they were going to beat Blackburn because we’d lost to them in the Carabao (Cup),” says the man known as AJ. “When I saw we were drawn against West Ham I was fuming, fuming.”

GONE: Ben Whiteman has moved on from Doncaster Rovers. Picture: Zac Goodwin/PAGONE: Ben Whiteman has moved on from Doncaster Rovers. Picture: Zac Goodwin/PA
GONE: Ben Whiteman has moved on from Doncaster Rovers. Picture: Zac Goodwin/PA

Just as the ball-winner quickly stamped his authority on the midfield, so he does on the interview. Asked about his start, he replies: “I’m not here to talk about stuff like that, I just wanted three points.

“Everybody was saying good luck but I didn’t really think of it as a debut. I just thought it was a game we needed to win.”

Ben Whiteman’s sale left a hole Greaves plans to fill but he is no like-for-like replacement.

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“When he left I thought, ‘The best player in League One’s gone,’ but then I thought, ‘I’m going to show the gaffer he doesn’t need to buy anyone,’” says Greaves.

“I like breaking up play and giving it players who are going to score. I like to keep it simple, put in a tackle and give a foul away now and then. If I have to go through him fairly and he’s on the floor after I’ll pick him up but, as long as I get the ball, I don’t care.”

The little red book of Greaves quotes would be like him – short and entertaining.

“I train every day to play so when I got told I was in the team I didn’t get nervous, I just thought I had to get down to business,” he says. “When I wasn’t playing I couldn’t be mardy. The lads, the gaffer (Darren Moore) and Jamie (Smith his assistant), don’t treat me as a kid, so if I’m not playing I can’t act like a kid.”

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Setbacks are no drama for Greaves, released by Sheffield Wednesday at 16, injuring his cruciate ligament midway through a first season in Rovers’ academy and now cup-tied after a loan that was “a good bad one”. It is not the first big game he has missed.

“In the Under-18s I got five yellows and there was a big game against Hartlepool so I went in to get my kit on and Paul Stancliffe said, ‘What are you doing? You aren’t playing.’” he recalls. “I said, ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘You’ve got five yellow cards, you idiot!’”

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