Andy Butler signs another deal at Doncaster Rovers

The Doncaster-born centre-half joined his hometown club for a second spell last September - after leaving Scunthorpe at the end of last season.

Butler secured a short-term deal after impressing on trial and has provided invaluable defensive cover for Rovers boss Darren Moore in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign - a season which has proved a disruptive one for every lower-division club.

Butler has featured seven times for Doncaster and started last Saturday’s fine FA Cup win at Blackburn, while his daily influence on the training ground having also been something that Moore has regularly referred to.

Should Butler earn an additional contract at the end of the season, it will take him past his 38th birthday.

Butler said: “I’ve loved every minute of being back, I’ve been able to play with a smile on my face and enjoy coming into training every day.

“The people around the place have made it feel like I’ve never been away, and I class all the boys as friends as well.

“I’ve played the last few games and hopefully showed people that I can still do it at a decent level, I’m still working on improving my game.

“Once I had played the game at Northampton I couldn’t stop smiling, it was good to be thrown in and test myself.”

Butler, who also manages Doncaster Rovers Belles, stepped into the breach in November when he took temporary charge of Rovers’ senior side in their FA Cup tie at FC United of Manchester following the news that Moore and his coaching staff were required to self-isolate after being in contact with a positive Covid-19 case.

He also managed the side for the Papa John’s Trophy tie against Wolves under-23s.