Doncaster Rovers legend James Coppinger going for gold with limited-edition shirt to celebrate his career

The 40-year-old is in the final season at a club where he has become a legend, and the kit he and his teenage sons have designed will commemorate his 17 years playing for them.

It will also promote CALM – the Campaign Against Living Miserably – a movement to take a stand against suicide. Main shirt sponsor LNER have taken a back seat to the charity's logo.

“It was a great opportunity and a fantastic gesture from the club,” said the midfielder. “When they asked me about it I didn't think twice.

“I got back to when I was a kid and the shirts I wore, my school shirts were literally red-and-black striped, nothing on it at all. As I went through my teens things started to change with the Italia 90 kit.

“I always used to get the latest kits, I used to love feeling and putting a new kit on. The players I've worked with, when a new training kit comes out or a new kit comes out, everybody wants to have a look at it, it's a huge part of it, a footballer's uniform, if you like.

“So to have the opportunity to design it was unique and I really, really enjoyed it.

“The gold was more of a celebration of my 17 years at the club. I've never had a gold kit, never worn a gold kit but I really liked the colour.

“The 26s within the fabric (a nod to Coppinger's squad number), the side sash which we had in the blue Avec (away) kit I really, really liked, and some bits and pieces suggested to me – the signature at the bottom and the dates on the back, 2004-2021, it's a really, really well put together kit and I'm going to say that because I designed it but I'm really proud of it.

“You're never going to please everybody but I think it's a really good collector's item.”

The gold shirt, the club's fastest-selling third strip, is available from the club's website priced £45 for adults, £35 children.

Doncaster host Hull on Saturday fifth in League One, four points behind the second-placed Tigers but with three games in hand. They have, however, lost their last three matches so psychologically as much as anything it could be a key game in the promotion race.

Coppinger hopes the game will mark his return from a calf injury he picked up in December.

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