But few would argue if Gary Jones was given that label. For he has gone on to make more appearances for the club than any other player in our history, after he passed Graham Smith's record during the 2007-8. It was almost fitting that in the year the club celebrated its centenary that one of the modern ilk, that the current club captain should take on that mantel.

And its a record which could stand for a long, long time. Because Jonah is still several years away from hanging up his boots, and the midfielder who has almost been a permanent fixture on the team sheet for the last years will continue to increase that appearances record way past that 346 appearances mark.

For given his form during the 2007-8 season, he'll be a permanent fixture for several years to come. His displays over the year won him a whole host of Player of the Season awards, from both players, fans and management alike.

It was a fantastic season for Jonah which culminated in making the Play Offs and leading the Dale side out at Wembley. Something to tell the grandkids about I suppose.

He first arrived at the club from Swansea City back in the late 1990's, coming on a free transfer from the South Wales club. In those pre-web days, the first anyone knew about his signing was when this new name appeared in the team line up at Peterborough.

He came as a twenty year old central midfielder, and was pretty much a bit part player during his first eighteen months at the club. He spent time both in and out of the first team line up and came very close to being released at the end of the 1998-99. With manager Graham Barrow sacked the week before, the rumour mill had it at the time that it was only the personal intervention of coach David Hamilton who persuaded the Dale board to retain the services of Jones.

And that later proved to be one of the most crucial decisions in the recent history of this football club. For when new manager Steve Parkin took over, Jones became increasingly one of the most integral players within the team.

It was Parkin's second season, where Jonah really cemented his place in the side. He proved himself to be one of the best central midfielders in the division, scoring plenty of goals along the way. He was given the captaincy, such was his impact at the club.

However, that success eventually counted against us. When Steve Parkin departed for Barnsley, Jonah was his first signing in a transfer worth £200,000. Many supporters feel that it was the departure of Jones which contributed to our failure to secure automatic promotion that season, missing out by a point. Certainly it was a transfer that the club wasn't happy about, but it was good money in the last year of his contract, and given the old adage about not being able to keep an unhappy player at a club, you could argue they had little choice.

His time at Barnsley was mixed. He made a good start and was named as their player of the season, but the departure of Parkin from Oakwell left Jones isolated and a nasty foot injury coupled with a fall out with their Icelandic manager, left Jones firmly on the sidelines.

And so then Dale boss Alan Buckley stepped in to bring him back to Spotland on loan. It was clear that the injury was still hampering him to an extent, as you could see from many of his facial expressions at the time, but despite Buckley been given the boot within weeks of Jonah's return to Spotland, returning manager Parkin had no hesitations about making Jones' return a permanent one as well.

His second spell has seen Jonah regain his central midfield spot and also the captaincy. He's now at a position where he's made significantly more appearances in his second spell as his did in his first spell.

His strengths as a central midfielder make him the lynchpin of the side. Always with an attacking thought, useful in the tackle when required and can come up with that decisive pass as well. And being of the Scouse persuasion, he's got a gob on him.

There have been times where his position in the side has been questioned, but every time that's happened, he's come back stronger than ever, and Dale continue to rely on his midfield presence, and alongside David Perkins, it is unquestionably one of the strongest midfield pairings in the whole division.