Crewe Alexandra v Doncaster Rovers: Wembley would be perfect destination for Tom Anderson's bumpy journey

Second only to youth product Louis Jones as the longest-serving player, the old-fashioned centre-back has had a few highs but a lot more lows these last few years.

Hopefully Friday's League Two play-off final second leg against Crewe Alexandra at a sold-out Eco-Power Stadium, then a final, will be his reward. Two-nil up from Monday's game at Gresty Road and 13 games unbeaten, Rovers are hot favourites to reach Wembley.

Anderson's time at Rovers started in January 2018, promisingly. He scored twice in only his fourth game but the following week fractured his cheekbone at Rotherham United and was out for two months.

Signed permanently in the summer, his first full campaign was full of promise, a penalty shoot-out from Wembley in the League One play-offs. Only a semi-final substitute, new manager Darren Moore made Anderson a cornerstone of the team when Grant McCann left for Hull City shortly afterwards.

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But since Moore's departure for Sheffield Wednesday in March 2021 with Doncaster again pushing hard for the Championship, things have been on a downward spiral.

Whilst Anderson's former centre-back partner Andy Butler, Richie Wellens, Gary McSheffrey and Danny Schofield came and went as manager, Rovers dropped into the bottom half of League Two, their talismanic centre-back – used to soldiering on bandaged or masked up – falling prey to plantar fasciitis for the second half of the 2021-22 relegation season and a back injury last term, not to mention the mental demons that came with them.

"Being captain and not being able to go out and lead a team is hard," he says, looking back at the relegation campaign. "It was a tough time. The last game I played was December 11.

"It's hard to deal with. Sometimes you're frustrated and it can affect you outside football. You need good people around you, which I've got.

"At first I probably kept it to myself and things built up but it's just like anything in life, you keep going, you speak to people and you go again.

"You can take all the tablets in the world to get through the pain but when you can't get in the car without being in severe agony, how are you going to be on a football pitch?"

The start of this season was tough too. Injury-hit Rovers started February one place above the relegation zone and their centre-back was slow getting back into his stride.

"He was probably thinking, 'What's changed?' but ultimately we knew deep down and probably Tom knew deep down it would take a bit of time to get going," says McCann. "Towards the second half of the season he started to pick up into the player we all know he is."

What was significant was that McCann and his erstwhile assistant Cliff Byrne were back, returning to lift not just Anderson, but the whole club, last May.

"The first time the gaffer and Cliff were here we got to the League One play-offs so it was really positive and exciting for me," recalls the 30-year-old, "After the (back) operation I had to come back as fit as I could and give it a right good go.

"Sometimes as players we want to get back to what we were as quickly as possible but that's easier said than done. I was out for six months and I remember looking last season, I'd play three or four games then miss three or four games.

"That is a lot harder than people think. You might have a little bit of a sulk and you do take it home but it's important to regroup."

McCann is a big fan, but then most of his managers have been.

"He trains well every single day, he's a top professional and desperate for success at the football club," he says. "He's a proper man."

For Anderson, as for the fans, the tough times make these ones – with one defeat in 19 matches – even sweeter. But like any natural defender, he is always sniffing out danger.

"These are the games that when you retire you look back on and you'll be proud to have been a part of it," he says. "It's important to enjoy the good times but not too much because it can change just like that.

"You can't get too high with the highs and too lows with the lows. That takes time to work on as well.

"Sometimes you think of all sorts but it's just important to take it day by day and do what you're good at."

That mentality permeates the most focused squad he has been in.

"It has to be like that, there's no other way," he says. "You can't get success (otherwise).

"You look at famous athletes and they've all got success by being really focused, really disciplined and being good professionals.

"It doesn't just happen overnight and young lads will learn off more experienced lads like Rowey (Tommy Rowe) and Woody (Richard Wood), two unbelievable pros to look at. That counts for a lot and it can take you a long way."

Anderson has been on one heck of a journey and much of it has been pretty bumpy. He deserves to come out of it with a smile on his face.