Doncaster Rovers defender Tom Anderson opens up on mental struggles in battle for fitness

Anderson has endured a stop-start two years through various injury problems and saw his most-recent return to action cut short by a broken nose and concussion following a collision.

But Doncaster's longest-serving player, who is now in his seventh season with the club, is back fit once again and returned with a solid display off the bench as ten-man Rovers held Swindon to a draw last weekend.

"I feel like I have been saying this for the last two years but hopefully I can get a good run going now and just stay fit and in the team,” said Anderson.

"At times, I'll be honest, I have struggled.

"Before any of these injuries I was quite a robust player. I was always available for every game, since I have been at the club."

Anderson enlisted the help of a counsellor when a foot injury ruled him out of Doncaster's League One relegation battle, which ended in the drop.

"I struggled to come to terms with not being on the pitch when we were struggling,” he added.

"At the time I was captain, I felt like I was letting people down.

"It just took over a little bit and you can get yourself down in the dumps. I went to speak to someone and it was a massive help for me."

Doncaster boss Grant McCann routinely namechecks Anderson, who turned 30 last week, as one of his key players - and the big defender still hopes to play for many more years.

"Seeing Woody (Richard Wood) and playing with Copps (James Coppinger) I have still got a good eight or ten years left in me!

"It's about doing the little things now that you might not have had to do when you were 21."

Wood has been "brilliant" since arriving in the summer, says Anderson.

"It's maybe a bit similar to when I was playing with Andy Butler," he added.

"You just look at the person and what he's done in his career. He's eight years older than me, so I can look up to him and learn. That's what I've been doing since he's been in.

"Why wouldn't you want to learn from him?"