This is a list of notable footballers who have played for Doncaster Rovers. The aim is for this list to include all players that have played 100 or more senior matches for the club. Other players who are deemed to have played an important role for the club can be included, but the reason for their notability should be included in the 'Notes' column.

For a list of all Doncaster Rovers players with a Wikipedia article, see :Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. players, and for the current squad see Doncaster Rovers F.C.#Current squad.

Explanation of List

Players should be listed in chronological order according to the year in which they first played for the club, and then by alphabetical order of their surname. Appearances and goals should include substitute appearances, but exclude wartime matches. Further information on competitions/seasons which are regarded as eligible for appearance stats are provided below, and if any data is not available for any of these competitions an appropriate note should be added to the table.

League appearances League appearances and goals should include data for the following league spells, but should not include play-off matches: Midland Alliance: 1890−91 Midland Football League: 1891–92 to 1900–01; 1903–04; 1905–06 to 1922–23 The Yorkshire League: 1897−98 to 1898−99 Football League: 1901–02 to 1902–03; 1904–05; 1923–24 to 1997–98; 2003–04 to present Football Conference: 1998–99 to 2002–03

Total appearances The figures for total appearances and goals should include the League figures together with the following competitions: Play-off matches (2002–03 and 2007–08) FA Cup; FA Trophy (1998–99 to 2002–03) Football League Cup, Football League Trophy (including three seasons as a Conference club 2000–01 to 2002–03), Football League Group Cup (1982–83), Football League Third Division North Cup (1933–34 to 1934–35; 1937–38) Conference League Cup (1999–00 to 2000–01) Sheffield and Hallamshire FA Minor Challenge Cup Sheffield and Hallamshire FA Senior Challenge Cup Gainsborough News Charity Cup Wharncliffe Charity Cup Mexborough Montague Charity Cup Friendlies (pre 1890−91 when Doncaster weren't in a league)

NOT included: Wartime League matches Friendlies (1890−91 onwards)

List of players Statistics are up to date as of 18:24 5 April 2021 (UTC).

NamePositionClub careerLeagueappsLeaguegoalsTotalappsTotalgoalsNotesLB / CF 1887−1905 45284848Doncaster's longest serving player Appearance stats not including seasons 1887−1901 nor 1903−04, during which he was theoretically available for a further 324 league and 88 cup games giving a maximum possible of 460. Added to this there were a further 77 friendly games during his first three seasons when Rovers were not in a league.GK 1894–1903 670700 Stats only for 1901–03. He'd been a regular in the side for several seasons before thisOL 1895−19015365LH 1895−1905802832Appearance stats not including 1895−1901, 1903−04OR RH 1896−1902312332Stats only for 1901−02 season, he scored 17 League and 5 other goals in totalOL / IL 1900–02 1905−06 1909386402Stats not including 1899–1901, 1905−06 and 1908−09 seasons where he scored 33 league and 14 other goalsOR 1901–03 1906−07 62166516Playing stats for first period only, scored 9 League goals in his second periodDF1920–1925 18102020FW 1922–1927 1825719661GK1922–1926 10501170DF 1922–1929 17641914FW 1923–1929 231180241186Record Doncaster goalscorerDF 1924–1932 18912013FB 1924–1932 25702750WH 1924–1936 4173043932Record pre war Doncaster League appearances Manager of Doncaster 1936–1940IF 1925–1930 1372014321Ireland international whilst at DoncasterFW 1926–1929 1102811328HB 1926–1930 15041584LH 1926–1929 10111051MF 1927–1931 1113212033WI1928–1932 9961056WH 1928–1936 14971618IF 1929–1937 2643527739GK 1929–1935 12701350DF 1930–1937 2262223724DF 1930–1944 18001900One of two current Rovers players to be killed in WWIIWI1932–1938 1965020454DF 1933–1937 17611831WI 1933–1937 1195112253Scored in 6 consecutive games and 5 times in one game in 1934–35 seasonGK 1933–1939 12601400DF 1936–1951 33323552 Including Wartime League matches, he played 501 games for Doncaster giving him the overall all-time second highest number of appearances behind James Coppinger. Joint manager of Doncaster January−June 1958FW 1936–1945 952610628CF 1936–1940 984410244 Welsh international whilst at DoncasterWH 1937–1948 13161456FW 1940–1948 60486750Most Doncaster league goals in one season (42 in 1946/47) He also scored 63 goals in 102 games during the war years IF 1946–1958 402122429131IF 1946–1950 1604917056WI 1947–1953 1421115313GK 1947–1956 30803310DF 1947–1951 9521002IF 1947–1953 14031474DF 1948–1959 15811741Famous comedianIF 1949–1953 1035510958 Ireland international player and manager of Northern Ireland whilst at Doncaster Manager of Doncaster 1949-1958 (PM until 1953)MF 1949–1958 31233323 Northern Ireland international whilst at DoncasterCF 1950–1954 1264713450WH 1950–1956 1081511715IF 1950–1954 1274714349 Republic of Ireland international whilst at DoncasterDF 1950–1955 11301200DF 1951–1961 35303780WH 1949–1956 11301200GK 1952–1957 940990 Northern Ireland international whilst at Doncaster.Hero of the Munich air disasterLW 1952–1961 2404625849DF 1953–1960 14751565IF 1953–1957 1263213938RW 1953–1959 1683218236FW 1954–1959, 1963–1968 262129293140Youngest Doncaster player (15 years 229 days v Fulham, 15 September 1954).WH 1952–1961 13211472IF 1956–1959 1191612418GK 1958–1962 18201970LW 1959–1961 1963-1966 2063923142WI 1961–1966 1571917922IF 1962–1964 885710162IF 1962–1965 1194213544 Republic of Ireland international whilst at DoncasterGK 1962–1966 12301400WH 1962–1966 12871527WH 1964–1968 1501617418DF 1964–1968 12401432MF 1964–1968 12421442FW 1965–1971 1863320736DF 1965–1968 13131492DF 1965–1968 10721262MF 1966–1971 16441864DF 1966–1972 227825211FW 1966–1968, 1979-1983 1293315038MF 1966–1968, 1968–1973 1573317438 "Willie" WatsonDF 1968–1972 10041114DF 1968–1974 1722018720MF 1968–1971 1072312124MF 1968–1973 15381699FW 1968–1971952510427WN 1968–1973 17061836DF 1969–1973 15651666FW 1969–1973 1203412736MF 1969–1975 2281624719GK 1970–1973 9501020FW 1970–1977 22889256105DF 1971–1977 23672637FW 1971–1974 973010834DF 1971–1977 185921112DF 1972–1979 14021623DF 1972–1977 13011421 Manager of Doncaster 2000–2001MF 1973–1977 1462116523FW 1973–1978 1876521278DF 1973–1977 8431024RW 1975–1978 1241413915GK 1975–1980, 1982–1986 32903730DF 1975–1979 11931343DF 1975–1978 1191213113MF 1976–1979 1282713727MF 1976–1985 3095934562WN 1977–1981 1541517517MF 1978–1982 12201321MF 1978–1985 2383026831MF 1979–1982 5050Manager of Doncaster 1979–1985, 1989–1991DF 1979–1983 9431117MF 1979–1982, 1983–1986, 1989–1992 1892321727DF 1979–1985 2441528516GK 1980–1984 10401150DF 1980–1988 18082009MF 1980–1985, 1998–2000 1902521627Player-manager of Doncaster 1998–2000FW 1981–1986, 1988–1993 4045344462Forward in his first spell, fullback in his secondMF 1984–1986, 1997–1998 951310714DF 1985–1987, 1990 10141144Manager of Doncaster 1985–1987GK 1985–1988 1060118Does not include any appearances he may have made in the Football League Trophy0DF 1985–1988 8501022MF 1987–1992 1642019525FW 1987–1991, 1994 1342214624DF 1988–1992 13921452DF 1988–1991 10931183GK 1988–1992 12101280LW 1989–1992, 1995 1102112024MF 1989–1992 8921053MF 1990–1993 1181613417FW 1993–1996 922610530MF 1994–1997 1101211112DF 1994–2000 19141994Rovers Player of the Year 1997–98DF 1996–1997, 2000–2006 21162206MF 1998–2001 9761127MF 1998–2002 93Penney's League stats are derived from the Soccerbase seasonal breakdown for 99/00 to 01/02 and from A to Z players for 98/99 as league data for this season is not included at Soccerbase. Note there are minor differences between the two sources for both 99/00 and 00/01 13102Penney's other stats are taken from Soccerbase but may not include any FA Trophy matches, or consistently include Conference League Cup data17Manager of Doncaster 2001–2006DF 1999–2006 15401851Rovers Player of the Year 1999–2000GK 1999–2007 19602070MF 2000–2004 1003411837Rovers Player of the Year 2000–01 and 2001–02MF 2001–2008 23530277Data does not include any matches he may have played in the FA Trophy, or in the FA Cup whilst Doncaster were in the Conference33DF 2002–2006 11631343MF 2002–2006 137915210Sam O’ConnorFW 2003–2004 FW 2003–2006 901910423MF 2003–2006 1222814235Rovers Player of the Year 2004–05 and 2005–06MF 2004–2021 6076768878Rovers Player of the Year 2017–18MF 2004, 2006–2011, 2013 14331613FW 2005–2010 1481818724FW 2005–2010 1283515043DF 2006–2012 21542425Rovers Player of the Year 2009–10DF 2006–2012 15281798Joint Rovers Player of the Year 2006–07FW 2006–2009 931711423DF 2006–2010 14181658MF 2006–2012 1931821623 Welsh international whilst at DoncasterGK 2006–2013 20002200FW 2007–2012 1653417839DF 2007–2012 14811642MF 2007–2009, 2013–2016 1721219915Rovers Player of the Year 2007–08MF 2007–2013, 2013–2014 117713510FW 2009–2012, 2014 984410245Record transfer fee paid (£1.15 m) Rovers Player of the Year 2010–11MF 2011–2015 1161513116MF 2011–2017 12421452DF/MF 2013–2019 9901121 Northern Ireland international whilst at DoncasterDF 2015–2019, 2020– 2061523817 Manager of Doncaster 2021–MF 2015–2019 1282514531FW 2015–2018 922310629MF 2016–2020 139816210FW 2016–2019 1346115367Rovers Player of the Year 2016–17DF 2016–2019 9831203DF 2016– 12041485FW 2017–2020 921011723MF 2017–2021 1331915925Rovers Player of the Year 2018–19DF 2018– 9761198

Charle Chester 1892–99

Football League 100 Legends The following Doncaster players have been included in the Football League 100 Legends. Peter Doherty Billy Bremner

PFA Team of the Year The following have been included in the PFA Team of the Year whilst playing for Doncaster.

1975–76 Ian Miller, Peter Kitchen (Fourth Division) 1976–77 Ian Miller, Peter Kitchen (Fourth Division) 1977–78 Ian Miller, Brendan O'Callaghan (Fourth Division) 1980–81 Alan Little (Fourth Division) 1983–84 Ian Snodin (Fourth Division) 1984–85 Ian Snodin (Third Division) 1990–91 Brendan Ormsby, Rufus Brevett (Fourth Division) 1994–95 Russ Wilcox (Fourth Division) 2003–04 Michael McIndoe (Third Division) 2005–06 Michael McIndoe (League One) 2006–07 Richie Wellens (League One) 2007–08 Richie Wellens (League One) 2012–13 Rob Jones, David Cotterill (League One) 2016–17 James Coppinger, John Marquis (League Two) 2018–19 John Marquis (League One)

Footnotes

References

Soccerbase stats (use Search for...on left menu and select 'Players' drop down) During Doncaster's period in the Conference the database does not include full match stats: FA Cup qualifying round matches do not have line-ups included in the database. This affects a total of 7 matches during the period. Only one of their FA Trophy games has match line-ups in Soccerbase, namely the original game against Yeovil on 19 February 2002, leaving a total of 9 Trophy matches without line-ups. A to Z Doncaster player stats at doncasterrovers.co.uk - Other than league matches appearance data only appears to include FA Cup and Football League Cup matches (the latter do not seem to be present for seasons 1993–94 to 1997–98). Play-off statistics are included, but are listed within the 'League' totals. Surnames A to C Surnames D to F Surnames G to J Surnames K to M Surnames N to R Surnames S to T Surnames U to W List of managers with date of first/last game in charge at doncasterrovers.co.uk

Appearances, goals and club years stats at since1888.co.uk Michael Joyce (site no longer active)