CLUB legend Mark Atkins selects his perfect Rovers five-a-side team.

TERRY GENNOE
FEW could have predicted the success that Gennoe would achieve at Rovers after an initial loan spell from Bury in 1974 resulted in him failing to make a senior appearance. But an 11 year association between the sticks after returning in 1981 would see Gennoe go on to play 289 league games, more than any other goalkeeper in the club’s history, and was key to the club’s three near misses in the Division Two play-off campaigns in the late ‘80s.

Was a goalkeeper of great bravery, but was also a commanding figure in his penalty box, as well as his ability to organise a back four, and would later become the club’s goalkeeping coach. 

COLIN HENDRY
THERE was little fanfare when he arrived from Dundee in March 1987, but later that month he would score the winning goal as Rovers lifted the Full Members Cup at Wembley with a 1-0 success over Charlton Athletic. Hendry could play as both a centre half, or centre forward, but had established himself as the former when he left for Manchester City in 1989.
Two years later he returned for around £700,000, the same amount Rovers had sold him to City for. Following the retirement of Kevin Moran, Hendry became the rock in defence and his braveheart style was loved by the Rovers faithful. He was a key figure in the Premier League winning season of 1994/95 before leaving for Rangers in August 1998 for a fee in the region of £4million.

SCOTT SELLARS
AFTER three unsuccessful attempts, Sellars finally helped Rovers to promotion in the 1991/92 season – but the play-off final win of 1992 would prove to be his last for the club.
Sellars arrived from Leeds United in July 1986 after falling out of favour but returned to the club six years later for close to £1million.
The period in between saw him become a hit with the Rovers fans, operating in a central area, but most prominently out wide on the left. He would leave Rovers just five games short of 250 for the club, and he would net 41 times, many of them from long range.

JASON WILCOX
THE regular sight of Sellars on Rovers’ left in the late 1980s meant Wilcox had to be patient for his chance. He was no overnight success after graduating through the Academy, but Sellars’ departure in 1992 allowed Wilcox to become a fixture on the Rovers left in their Premier League years, going on to make over 300 appearances, including three full caps for England.
He left for Leeds United in 1999, but not before establishing himself as a Rovers great with his industrious wing play and excellent delivery from the flanks.

ALAN SHEARER
ROVERS shelled out a British transfer record of £3.3million to sign him from Southampton in 1992, which also saw David Speedie go the other way, but he proved to be worth every penny. He finished as the club’s top scorer in each of his four seasons at Rovers. 
In all he scored 131 times, including 37 in the title winning season of 1994/95. 
Scored a club record equalling five hat-tricks in 1995/96 before leaving for Newcastle United for £15million. 

MARK Atkins explains how he chose his team.

“Terry Gennoe was outstanding in my early years at the club. He was outstanding every week, always consistent, and was a great guy too.

“I was only 19 when I joined the club and Terry really took me under his wing and he was a good character around the dressing room.

“Colin Hendry would be the type of defender you’d want in your team - he is a great friend of mine, but on the pitch he would be the one throwing himself to block shots from all angles.

“He loved defending, and that’s why he looks like he does now!”

In the creative stakes, Atkins opted for Scott Sellars and Jason Wilcox.

“I played behind a lot of good creative players during my time at the club,” Atkins continued, “but one of my favourite players to play behind was Scott Sellars. 

“You knew that when you gave him the ball he wouldn’t lose it and would also make something happen.

“I also played with some good wingers, Alan Irvine, Ian Miller, Howard Gayle, but Jason was right up there.

“He came in to the side as a young lad and had to be patient because Scott Sellars was always going to be in the team because of how he was playing. But he always believed that he would achieve what he did and he had to wait for his time, but he worked at his game and became an excellent player.”

When looking for a goalscorer, there was only once place Atkins could turn to; Alan Shearer.

“He was probably the best goalscorer that have played with,” Atkins added.

““He had everything, there was an aura about him that the opposition teams were frightened of when they saw his name on the teamsheet.

“If a chance came his way then nine times out of 10 he would stick it away.  You knew that you just needed to give him the ball in the right areas and he would produce something for us.

“Add his finishing to everything else he had and you knew in games you always had a chance.”