Andy Butler was quick to praise a solid team performance after Rovers’ 2-0 win at Shrewsbury Town in Sky Bet League One.
Butler laced up his boots and slotted in alongside Tom Anderson at the heart of the back-line, and says the players around him made his job easier.
He said: “It was much more like us, the players put an incredible shift and work-rate in and that’s what we’ve been missing recently.
“It was nice to go back into the dressing room and see smiling faces, it’s nice to have that feeling again.
“We had players running those extra few yards to make a tackle, which is exactly what we’ve been asking of them.”
It was the first time Butler had pulled on a Rovers shirt since his appointment as manager at the start of March, and he says it felt like the right thing to do.
He added: “Things happen in life and once the boots came back on I felt like I’d never been away, but I have to credit the players around me.
“We won’t get carried away with one result, while it is very pleasing we know there is still a lot of work to do.
“We’ll see where we’re at with injuries and if I’m needed to play, it’s about what is best for the team and picking 11 players capable of winning the game.”