James Coppinger: Doncaster Rovers legend wins Sir Tom Finney Award
- Published
James Coppinger (centre) celebrates after scoring a last-minute equaliser for Doncaster against Hull City in February in a comemorative kit he had designed
Doncaster Rovers legend James Coppinger is to be honoured with the Sir Tom Finney Award at the 2021 EFL Awards.
The 40-year-old midfielder is retiring at the end of the season after 17 years with the League One side.
The EFL said the award "recognises his talent, commitment, and model professionalism throughout his career".
Coppinger, who made his debut for Hartlepool at Barnet in March 2000, said his time at Doncaster had "meant everything" to him.
He made one Premier League appearance for Newcastle United in August 2000 before joining Exeter City in July 2002.
After two years with the Grecians he moved to Doncaster in June 2004 and is now the club's record appearance maker, with 611 in the league.
He joined Nottingham Forest on loan in August 2012 but returned to the Keepmoat Stadium in December and scored the winning goal as they beat Brentford 1-0 to win promotion the Championship on the final day of the 2012-13 season.
Coppinger picked out that winning goal at Griffin Park as the stand-out moment from his 17 years with the South Yorkshire side.
"You couldn't write a better script than to score the winning goal in the last minute of the last game of the season to win the league and go up as champions," he said.
"For me personally, and collectively with the group that we had, we worked so hard.
"To win the league and to be champions, not many people experience that throughout their career, so for me to do that at Doncaster Rovers was probably the most special moment I've had."
The final game of Coppinger's career will be a home game against Peterborough on Sunday, 9 May.
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