Midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy has been looking ahead to derby day.
The 35-year-old player/coach, who has also played for Saturday’s visitors during his career, is well aware of the rivalries and says it’s not just another game.
He told Dale Player: “It’s the game all fans look for when the fixture list comes out to see when it is going to be played. It’s not just another game, it’s exciting for everybody involved and the players are as excited as the fans are, so I really can’t wait for it. You get a big crowd for games like these so it will be a fantastic atmosphere. I think even though we’ve been playing well away from home recently, it’s nice to have our fans behind us.
“As players, we’ve just got to focus on the opposition. Bury are on a very good run, so it will be a tough game for us. It’s going to be the first experience of a derby game for a lot of our younger players so it will be a great experience for them and I’m sure they will deal with it very well.”
Barry-Murphy took on the role of player/coach in the summer and he says he is enjoying the coaching aspect.
“To be honest, over the last couple of seasons I probably haven’t played as much as I would have liked to so I’ve been doing that type of role without it being official as such. Keith (Manager Keith Hill) made it clear when he came back to the club that he wanted me to stay on and I’m really appreciative of that. It’s a very exciting time at the club – I’ve never seen such a talented group of young players coming through at any of the clubs I’ve been at, so to be here and to be helping out in any small way is very exciting for myself.”
You can listen to the full interview with Brian on Dale Player.