Doncaster Rovers captain Adam Clayton receives top marks from his teammates

Clayton has grown in influence following his January arrival and took over the captaincy from Tom Anderson ahead of the current campaign.

His diplomacy extended to offering Kyle Hurst a place to stay while he trialled with Rovers throughout pre-season.

"He took me under his wing which I’m very appreciative of,” said 20-year-old Hurst, who has moved away from home for the first time.

Team player Clayton insists there’s no dividing line between age groups in Doncaster’s dressing room.

He has paired up with 19-year-old Jack Degruchy to share lifts to and from training at Cantley Park.

Clayton’s former Middlesbrough teammate George Miller is also a fan.

He said: “I’ve had a lot of captains who are a bit strange, a bit one way or the other.

"He’s approachable from all sides. You have got Hursty, a young lad, he’s approachable to him as well as me and the middle ages.

"Then you have got the older lads who can all relate to him.”

A backhanded compliment was also in store for Clayton, 33.

Striker Miller said: "He’s not a weirdo [...] he’s not hard to deal with. He’s good, approachable, and that’s what you want.

"Everyone has integrated. Hursty stayed with him, I’ve had captains in the past where I wouldn’t want to go 100 feet within their house.”

Miller continued: "He’s looking after lads and helping them out and that’s only going to make Hursty better because he’s got a close relationship with our captain.

"He’ll go the extra mile because Clayts has helped him out before.

"He’s offered to help me with the driving. Everyone chipping in and pushing towards the same goals is only going to help.”

Rovers recruited 11 new players over the summer, who have quickly settled in and helped the club set the pace in League Two.

Miller, who has scored three goals in his first seven Doncaster appearances, put the smooth transition down to ‘good people’, adding: “There aren’t any idiots here.

"They are all good people. First and foremost you want to be working with good people. That’s helped the transition so much.

"When you have got good people around you, you want to run through a brick wall for them.”