Adam Virgo has labelled the pressure in the League One relegation dogfight as bigger than an Old Firm derby.

Virgo played for Celtic against Glasgow Rangers but he insists that is nothing compared to the heat on Albion at the wrong end of the table with three games to go.

"The Old Firm games are great experiences," he said. "The difference is you are usually fighting for a league title.

"Here it's our livelihoods, our futures at the club for a lot of players. It's a bigger pressure and a pressure which hopefully not a lot of footballers will go through.

"It's a horrible feeling that relegation could happen and I know that no footballer would want to be in the position we are but we are not really talking about that now.

"We are all looking forward to getting the maximum number of points we can."

Virgo leads Albion again at mid-table Bristol Rovers tonight in the quest for a third straight away win, and fourth out of five overall, to haul themselves out of the drop zone.

He has taken over the armband for the past month from Nick Forster, who faces exploratory knee surgery later this week.

"I've got Michel behind me but as the captain I feel responsible for every one of the players," said Virgo.

"It's the first time I have been a captain and I am thoroughly enjoying the experience.

"I enjoy the pressure of leading the team and I think it has hopefully raised my game a little bit by trying to lead on the pitch by example.

"Fozzy is the club captain and I totally respect that. He is helping me as much as he can and so too are the players around me.

"He is not necessarily telling me how to do the job, just little bits here and there that he will speak to me about.

"I've had great captains in the past – Danny (Cullip), Charlie (Oatway) and Chippy (Richard Carpenter) here and at Celtic Lenny (Neil Lennon) and Roy Keane as well.

"They were all great examples on the pitch and off the pitch. You don't necessarily need to speak a lot because, in the modern game now, people prepare in their own way.

"I think it's the way you react on the pitch, trying to be focused for as long as possible and to hopefully be a leader for other people to follow."

Virgo was playing in central midfield when Albion drew 1-1 with Rovers at Withdean early on in the season.

He would have missed the match at the Memorial Stadium through suspension if it had not been washed out last month but now he faces a big responsibility.

Virgo, back in his best position at centre half, will be marking 27-goal Rickie Lambert and marshalling a defence definitely without the banned Andrew Whing and, possibly, the injured Tommy Elphick.

"It's another massive game where we have got to go and do a job," he said. "The old cliché is they (Rovers) have got nothing to play for but I think sometimes that is when teams can be at their most dangerous. They do things which won't really matter if they go wrong.

"We know the threat Lambert poses up front but, as Millwall showed on Saturday, they can concede goals.

"If we can keep our shape and stay together as a team when we haven't got the ball then I think there is a very good chance of getting something out of the game."