It will be 50 and out for Derek Fazackerley as Rovers’ record appearance holder steps aside from the rigours of the training pitch to take up a new role at Oxford United.

The 68-year-old moved straight in to coaching after his playing days ended in 1989, which included a mammoth 671 appearances for Rovers that saw him inducted in the club’s inaugural hall of fame.

The last six years of his coaching career have been as assistant manager at the Kassam Stadium, first to former Rovers boss Michael Appleton, then to Pep Clotet and most recently Karl Robinson.

Oxford were beaten by Wycombe in last month’s League One play-off final, with Fazackerley making the decision to step aside from his current role to take up a new role, a title for which is yet to be decided.

He will hope to use the vast experience he has built up through both his playing and coaching career, the latter which has included spells with England, Rovers, Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Huddersfield Town, Leicester City, Newcastle United and Manchester City.

On his decision Fazackerley told The Oxford Mail: “I told Karl following the play-off final that after 50 years my time on the grass has probably come to an end.

“I didn’t really think it was right for me to carry on at this particular moment in time.

“In fairness to Karl, he said ‘we don’t really want to lose you, is there anything else that might interest you?’.

“It certainly gave me something else to think about and I thought ‘why not?’.

“I know the people at Oxford and I know the direction the club is hoping to go.

“If I can help in any way, shape or form then obviously that’s something I want to do.”

During his time at the club, Oxford have won promoted from League Two, reached two EFL Trophy finals, but Fazackerley admitted that it would have been an easier call to make had they won at Wembley to seal a place in the Championship.