Determined Andy Butler keen to leave good impression in Doncaster Rovers dugout

All through his playing career – which he is at pains to stress still has a few years left in it – he has revelled in the role of leader, whether wearing the captain’s armband or merely marshalling the defences of Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield United, Walsall, Huddersfield and Scunthorpe.

A decade ago he set out on the refereeing pathway, taking control of a game every Sunday morning, until he rose so high he could no longer commit to being the man with the whistle.

“I was kind of busy on a Saturday,” he says, with a nod to his day job as a professional footballer.

Once that door closed, he took up coaching, taking on the Rovers Academy before earlier this year accepting the offer of becoming manager of Doncaster Rovers Belles.

“When the Belles opportunity came up people questioned whether it was the right opportunity for myself, but I still believe it was,” says Butler.

“I’ve grown as a person knowing these players are a representation of myself, whereas with the academy it’s more individual. At Belles’ level it’s a team that represents myself.”

And then late last week, the defender who has yet to play a game since returning to the Keepmoat for a second spell, was the obvious choice to answer the call from within when Covid-19 forced Rovers manager Darren Moore and members of his coaching staff to self-isolate.

“That’s the difference as the manager, the buck stops with you,” continues Butler.

“I said that to the players on Friday, your performance against FC United of Manchester reflects on me.

“You are representing me on the pitch, even though it’s the gaffer’s side, if we didn’t do a good job it would reflect badly on me.”

Rovers won 5-1, avoiding an FA Cup humbling in front of the television cameras and offering a perfect reflection of Butler.

Tonight he gets his second opportunity to be ‘the man’ when Rovers welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy.

The only negative is this will be his last game in temporary charge. Due to international call-ups, this coming Saturday’s League One trip to Oxford has been postponed, meaning Rovers do not play again until Saturday week by which time Moore will be back in the dugout.

Moore is calling the shots again tonight, he has picked the team – Butler would not reveal if he is making his first appearance of the season or remaining in the dugout – and the buck does ultimately stop with the manager.

But that does not mean Butler will not wring as much out of the experience as he possibly can.

“I believe this is what I want to do now,” he says, the lessons learned from his short time in charge of the Belles merely heightening his embracing of the ultimate responsibility.

“What I like about the Belles is it’s my philosophy that I bring into a club rather than one that has been laid out for me.

“Doncaster Belles shows what I am about, and I’ve really got the bug for that.

“I still love playing games but at the same time I’m getting that buzz for management.”

What has helped the transition to the Rovers dugout is a similar playing style.

“The philosophy is pretty similar with what Darren Moore does and what I do with the Belles,” says Butler, for whom Moore, Darren Ferguson, Nigel Adkins, Dean Smith and Russ Wilcox are former managers he takes the most inspiration from.

“Because it’s the gaffer’s side I’m just implementing what he asks. But the Belles play a 4-2-3-1 with two sitting midfielders, and sometimes Rovers play that.

“We both like to play out from the back, break lines, find pockets of space and create overloads.”

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