Doncaster Rovers v Stockport County: Ex-Leeds United man relishing the No 6 role
MENTION Stockport County to most people associated with Doncaster Rovers and they don't hold the best of recent memories.
The Edgeley Park outfit secured a league double over Rovers last season and before that in 2023-24.
All told, County have won on their last three visits to the Club Doncaster Sports Village, also triumphing in a one-sided EFL Trophy semi-final back in March that scuppered Rovers' hopes of reaching Wembley.
However, for one Rovers player – Robbie Gotts – an appointment with Stockport represented an important personal moment in his career at the South Yorkshire club last season.
It came last Christmas and although Doncaster's 4-2 defeat in the north-west dropped them to second from bottom in the League One table, there was a silver lining for Gotts, for whom it proved a breakthrough moment for the one-time Leeds United player..
Gotts was deployed in the No 6 role for the first time and hasn't looked back since.
His manager Grant McCann dispensed the praise last week, saying the 26-year-old was the best No 6 in the division during the second half of last season, according to various metrics.
Harrogate-born Gotts has carried on from where he left off last season during the current campaign at Rovers, who are seeking to get back to winning ways after a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City on Saturday.
Citing that catalyst against County, Gotts said: "I'd probably say it was the Stockport game. It was away on a Tuesday night in late December. And then I played in the Bolton (home) game, just after.
"I was playing as the No 8 and I think George (Broadbent) got injured. I then went into the No 6 role (against Stockport and Bolton).
"I feel like that probably changed my season around a little bit. And from then on, I was almost obsessed with learning about that position, because I'd never actually played as a single six on my own before that (Stockport) game.
"I feel like from that game, I just wanted to get better and better. So that was the turning point.
"I really enjoy it. Doing the defensive side as well, I actually really enjoy that side of the game.
"It's almost like creating an identity for myself. It's like 'what am I? I feel like that position probably suits me perfectly."