'˜I'll be back' claims Rob Jones after an untimely exit from Doncaster Rovers

It is a picture of that moment when his good mate James Coppinger scored at Brentford on the never-to-be-forgotten Spring day of April 27, 2013 – when Rovers went from agony to ecstasy in just 17 seconds.

Coppinger’s dramatic stoppage-time winner saw Rovers clinch the League One title, seconds after it looked like they were destined for a play-off berth before Bees striker Marcello Trotta became an honorary Doncastrian by missing a late penalty.

That roller-coaster action represents a bit of a microcosm for Jones’s Keepmoat odyssey.

Highs have encompassed promotion, gaining cult hero status with fans in double-quick time and a dug-out baptism. The lows, incorporating relegation, surviving a career-threatening neck injury, managerial rejection and finally his exit from the club have not been so palatable.

In his spell in caretaker charge after Paul Dickov’s sacking last autumn, Jones spoke about being a ‘big boy’. Not in terms of height – which his 6ft 7in frame clearly alludes to either – but in being able to handle anything that was thrown at him.

That iron-clad character was tested when he was told on transfer deadline day he had no future at the club as a player or coach, to his deep dismay.

Jones – a redoubtable figure of a man who it is hard to believe is only 36 – has taken that blow firmly on the chin and is now ‘moving on’ to the next chapter of his footballing story, which, ideally, will still include playing.

Further down the line, it very much incorporates coaching and management, which might even involve one day returning to the club where supporters will always remember him fondly.

Jones said: “Doncaster Rovers is a fantastic club that will always be close to my heart. The fans took to me straightaway and embraced me.

“Who knows? I may return one day in some capacity. You never close the door. I am sure our paths will cross at some point in the future.

“But I now look forward to the exciting challenges ahead, wherever they may be. Because I am not finished. It might be construed that way from certain people, but I have a lot to give and still have miles left in my legs.

“Then I will move onto the other side with coaching. It has been magnificent; I have had two interim periods in charge which will stand me in good stead for the future.”

Jones may now be ready to focus on his next step, following some rest and recuperation, but he is candid enough to admit the manner of his exit left a sour taste in his mouth.

He had been close to the end of a lengthy road back to fitness from injury and was also coaching the club’s under-21 side.

That said, he admits he did sense some developments in the wind, yet that did not necessarily make it much easier when the parting of the ways came.

He added: “It was disappointing and the manner was not great. But that is football, you can never dictate from one day to the next, I’m afraid.

“The writing was on the wall quite early and I knew my future was finished just before Christmas. They offered me the opportunity to go out on loan, which I rejected and then they offered me a route away from the club, for whatever reason.

“I never went in and asked to leave. They pursued the chance to sever all acquaintances. When someone says that, it’s time to go.

“I am an old-school one. When someone informs you that you are no longer required, then you don’t hang around but move onto pastures new.

“Leaving the under-21s midway through the season was the biggest disappointment for me. But everything comes to an end. Unfortunately, it has come in this manner; we’d all like the fairytale ending of waving goodbye on the last day of the season. It is not to be – but I wish the club all the best.”

The end may not have been ideal, but Jones’s overwhelming memories of his time at Rovers are positive.

High on the list is leading Rovers to the League One title in 2012-13, when he proved a colossus at the back and was a dressing-room leader, with Brian Flynn and himself taking on the reins after Dean Saunders.

As is his invaluable experience in the autumn when he took charge for six games, even if the full-time post he coveted did not arrive.

He added: “The Brentford game and the Stevenage one, where I was caretaker and scored a last-minute winner, stand out.

“Obviously, the last caretaker manager role didn’t go the way I would have liked it to. But so many positives came out of it.

“The first time, I did it in partnership with Brian Flynn, so it wasn’t really my ‘baby’.

“I learned an awful lot of things about myself and how I should do things and shouldn’t. It’s all positive and it will all help me when I go into that permanent role.”