Golf-mad Doncaster Rovers star happy to put the greens and fairways on hold

The Doncaster Rovers midfielder is desperate to make sure the team has something to play for in the final 11 games of the season rather than being, as the old saying goes, ‘on the golf course’.

Close, 26, has put down his clubs – to the detriment of his handicap score – as he eyeballs another shot at the play-offs, having twice been unsuccessful with former club Portsmouth.

He said: “We want to keep that hope for as long as we can, that we can make the top seven.

"The aim for the next four, five, six games is to make sure we can finish the season with a chance of finishing in the play-offs.”

Several midweek results went Rovers’ way and they head to seventh-placed Salford on Saturday six points behind them with a game in hand.

Close said: “It’s a great chance for us.

"We recently won three in a row and it shot us right up there. But then you lose three and draw one and you’re straight back down to thirteenth.

"Our aim is to go and beat Salford.”

Close admitted to keeping a close eye on the League Two table but he has been taking his mind off football by watching the golf documentary Full Swing on Netflix.

He said: “I haven’t played for a while but it’s great and gives you the bug to play again.

"The Masters is coming up, I’m looking forward to sitting down and watching that for three or four nights. Golf is probably my biggest hobby outside of football.”

Close added: "When I was playing quite regularly I was playing off 10 unofficially, I got pretty good.

“At the moment it’s quite busy to be playing golf, so I think I’ll be waiting until summer.”

Teams qualifying for the League Two play-offs have needed at least 71 points on average over the last 10 seasons.

Rovers currently have 50 with 11 games and 33 points left to play for.

On the play-offs, Close said: "They are big games and exciting occasions. Every player wants to go through these games.

"There’s no point floating through your career and not having those challenges.”