ROBBIE SAVAGE ON WHY HE QUIT

WITH their strictly vegan menu, organic pitch and playing in a kit made up of recycled plastic and coffee grounds, Dale Vince's Forest Green Rovers are a football club who like to do things that little bit differently.

- By JON COUCH

So, who better to lead their assault on a return to the Football League than a man whose journey since racking up 346 Premier League appearances for the likes of Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn and Derby has been anything but orthodox.

Robbie Savage has never been one to go down the conventional route.

Many eyebrows were raised back in 2020 when, alongside best pal Rob Smethurst, the former Welsh international played a key role in the formation of Macclesfield FC after the original Macclesfield Town were wound up.

With a 10.9 per cent stake in the club, Savage initially served as director of football before taking up management duties last summer when boss Michael Clegg was, controversially, axed so he could take the reins.

But the 50-year-old didn't look back, leading the Silkmen to a record-breaking 109-point haul in the NPL Premier; 26 points clear of their nearest challengers and with just three league defeats to their name all season.

With hopes high for Macc to launch another promotion push in National League North, Savage's decision to up sticks and head down to the Cotswolds just a month after signing a new two-year contract extension appears drastic.