How Alan Shearer’s old Newcastle strike partner Coppinger beat booze and gambling addiction to become Doncaster legend

JAMES COPPINGER today opens up about how gambling and boozing almost wrecked his career.

The Doncaster midfielder blew thousands of pounds on roulette machines at a bookies shop in Exeter.

James Coppinger regrets wasting his chance at Newcastle but instead has become one of the all-time greats for Doncaster Rovers

A Donny highlight for James Coppinger was beating Leeds in the League One play-off final at Wembley in 2008

James Coppinger hits the winner at Brentford to put Doncaster in the Championship in 2013

And he would also spend hours in pubs after training with his team-mates.

But he turned it all around to become a legend in South Yorkshire.

The 38-year-old made his 573rd appearance for Rovers at AFC Wimbledon in League One on Saturday.

And it was also the 675th game of his professional career that was on the rocks after being released by Newcastle in 2002.

Just three years after making his Premier League debut — coming on to partner Alan Shearer up front at St James’ Park — he hit rock bottom.

He was living 360 miles away from his North East home for the first time in his life.

His grandfather had just died while his parents went through divorce.

‘HEFTY AMOUNTS’

To compound his misery, he was relegated into non-league football with the Grecians.

He told me: “I used to do the maximum £500 stakes, hefty amounts.

“It all started when one of the lads and I went into a bookie. He had two pound coins on him, put them in and won £90.
“We were thinking, ‘This is unbelievable’ and spent an entire afternoon there.

“Then we went in the following day and it became a regular thing. We were hooked.

“We started with £2, then £10, £50, £100 and finally the maximum £500.”

The drinking culture in football was still rife 15 years ago.

Coppinger explained: “We’d train then go out for a meal because, back then, we didn’t get fed at the training ground.

“The boys would go into town to eat and, before you know it, it turned into a night out.

“You would end up going into training the next day not feeling great.

“It got out of hand. I was a professional athlete and was living a student lifestyle.

“I ended up calling my mum to tell her what happened. It was a rough time for me and I had no support.”

In-store roulette machines now are only allowed to take maximum £2 stakes — something Coppinger welcomed.

The Rovers ace deeply regrets not only his dark period at Exeter but wasting his chance at Newcastle where he worked under Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit and Sir Bobby Robson.

James Coppinger and Co celebrate after Doncaster Rovers won promotion from League Two in 2017

He said: “When I signed for Darlington on a YTS, it wasn’t a burning desire of mine to become a professional footballer.

“I left school at 16 and didn’t know what to do so when Darlington offered me the apprenticeship I decided to go with it.

“As soon as I got the every-day training, I enjoyed it. I ended up getting selected for the England Under-16s and suddenly there were rumours Newcastle wanted to sign me.

“I thought it was all a big joke but it wasn’t.

“Suddenly I am up at Newcastle signing a contract for Kenny Dalglish. My mum, dad and sister went to the training ground and he spoke highly of me.

‘TOO YOUNG AND NAIVE’

“Then Ruud Gullit took over and he took me on pre-season to Holland, Germany and Scotland.

“I scored and played alongside Shearer.

“But Ruud didn’t last long and got sacked and was replaced by Sir Bobby. And it was under him that I came on as a sub for my only appearance at the club — playing again alongside Shearer.

“I was too young and naive to appreciate where I was at that time. I almost didn’t believe I should be there.

“It wasn’t real for me. I was just playing football. I didn’t see it as a job. I never applied myself as well as I should have.”

At Exeter it was complete madness . . . spoon-bending expert Uri Geller was running the club with Michael Jackson on the board!

Former Exeter midfielder James Coppinger played under Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit and Sir Bobby Robson at St James’ Park

Coppinger recalled: “Uri was bending spoons all the time.

“I saw him once doing it after a game and also at a service station in front of everybody.

“He owned a car with spoons welded to it.

“Uri once claimed he healed me of an injury when he rubbed my ankle. He was eccentric but his heart was in the right place.”

It was Doncaster that saved his career. They signed him from the Grecians 15 years ago and he has not looked back.

‘INSPIRATIONAL MENTOR’

He said: “Manager Dave Penny introduced me to Terry Gormley, who is an inspirational mentor that makes you understand what is holding you back in life.

“He completely made me understand what was wrong and since working with him everything changed.

“I also got great support from my now wife Lucie and my mum Maureen and dad John.

“There was a drinking culture at Doncaster when I joined but I steered clear — and I’ve learned to appreciate what I have and love what I do.”

Coppinger went up into the Championship twice with Rovers — via the play-offs in 2008 and after winning the League One title in 2013.

And he captained the team to promotion from League Two two years ago at the age of 36 — which won him a place in the division’s PFA Team of the Year.

He also won the Football League Trophy with the club in 2007.

Coppinger said: “Doncaster and me work well for each other. They’ve always matched my ambitions.

“My career was progressing. We were in League One and progressed to the Championship.

“Every time I felt I wanted to push higher, Doncaster did too.

“I had a short spell on loan at Nottingham Forest when Sean O’Driscoll was manager but, apart from that, I’ve never really had a reason to leave.”

Surely Rovers will have a statue put up outside their Keepmoat Stadium when he finally packs up — because calling him a “Doncaster legend” is a massive understatement.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk