Doncaster Rovers: ‘Hopefully people will be talking about John Marquis, James Coppinger and the rest who played in that cup run in 2019’

The media and Marquis convened in Alick's Bar, named after the prodigious Jeffrey, to discuss the prospect of the current Rovers team managing something even the great striker could not inspire them to.

On Sunday, when they host Premier League side Crystal Palace, Marquis and his Rovers team mates have the opportunity to put the club into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in its history.

The scale of the achievement is not lost on Marquis, who admits he would relish being talked about in the same tones as club legends of the pasrt.

"There's a lot of legends that have played here before, for whatever reason whether it's the amount of games they've played, goals they've scored or what they've achieved," he told the Free Press.

"Just to be mentioned in Doncaster's history. That's one thing that is so good about history - you can't change it, it'll be there forever.

"If this Doncaster team does or doesn't get through, we've already made a little bit of history by being the first in 63 years to get this far.

"If we can just make that next little step, in 50 or 60 years from now people will hopefully be talking about John Marquis, Ben Whiteman, James Coppinger and the rest who played in that cup run in 2019.

"To be part of that and part of history is something we can be proud of if we can do it."

Of the current crop, only James Coppinger - Rovers' all-time top appearance maker - has received something named in his honour like Jeffrey, after Car Park One at the Keepmoat was renamed.

Marquis is unsure of what he would like named after him but believes Coppinger is due something much more prestigious.

"I don't know," he said.

"I'm surprised Copps has only got a car park. I think he deserves something more than a car park.

"I don't know about me. I'll have a chair or something named after me. Something boring."

Whether or not it brings car parks, stands or chairs named in honour, Marquis insists there is collective determination to ensure the current squad write their name in club folklore.

"We could be proud if we did it," he said.

"Doncaster is town where people don't always expect to be really successful or people look in and think it's little old Doncaster.

"In 50 years time when Copps is probably still playing for us, to be mentioned as being in that team that got to the quarter-final or maybe even further, it'd be nice to be spoken about in many years to come.

"We want to be part of that if we can be."

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