Bristol Rovers manager Ben Garner has delved into his contact book and asked former work colleague Steve Coppell for help on the training ground.

BristolLive revealed the news as the two look to continue their long-standing relationship within football together.

The pair both got to know each-other when Coppell was manager at Crystal Palace and Garner was acting as a coach within the academy setup before they both worked at Indian Super League side ATK during 2019 with Garner acting as Coppell's assistant.

After the Wycombe defeat on Saturday, Garner said: "Steve’s been at a couple of games now.

"He was at the Coventry game last week and he was here (at Adams Park).

"He came in for two days in the week and he’s just another set of eyes for me.

"He’s a wonderful man, he’s very experienced in football and he’s someone that I can pick his brains about certain areas and he sees things a little bit colder than I do, in terms of the emotion of the dressing room.

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"Steve’s been gracious enough to help when he can and hopefully that will be ongoing as much as we can.

"He has a huge knowledge of the game, great experience, and that’s just something we’re tapping into."

Since being appointed manager at The Memorial Stadium in December, Garner is yet to appoint an assistant with Coppell not looking likely to take that role on.

Rovers have struggled since Garner took over from Graham Coughlan, failing to win in 13 games as he has brought in a more possession-based style of football opposed to Coughlan's more direct approach.

The Pirates travel north to Tranmere Rovers tomorrow night with the visitors hoping to finally pick up their first three points under Garner as the season enters a crucial period.

The Verdict

Garner is doing the right thing by tapping into the knowledge Coppell possesses about the game.

The latter demands respect within the game and he knows what it takes to play and manage at the top level of football.

Garner''s former work colleague will be able to assist him on the training ground as he continues to learn on a daily basis, while Coppell may be looking to get back into football on a more full-time basis.