If there has been one surprise story in the Championship this season it may be the prolificness of Ben Brereton at Blackburn Rovers.

Signed as a teenager by the Lancashire club from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2018, Brereton arrived at Ewood Park with a sparkling reputation but his performances initially did not back that up.

His first two seasons under Tony Mowbray saw just two goals scored in 40 Championship appearances, and there were fears that the youngster was going to go down as a flop signing.

Brereton showed glimpses of life last season supporting the prolific Adam Armstrong from the left flank, scoring seven times and assisting a further five goals, but no-one could have foreseen what has happened this season.

His current Championship record stands at 13 goals in 17 matches after another strike against Sheffield United this past weekend and the upturn in form has coincided with his surprise inclusion in Chile's national squad for the Copa American this past summer.

It's a tale that has already been well-told and one that has seen Brereton become a cult hero in the South American nation, and in an interview with BBC Radio Lancashire, the 22-year-old has confirmed what everyone assumed that his Chile exploits has turned him into a much better player.

"It [playing internationally] makes you think and you learn a lot," Brereton said.

"With the experience and the players you're playing against, it's definitely given me a lot of confidence and motivation, and for Blackburn there's that confidence and I'm happy to be scoring goals."

The Verdict

It seemed quite obvious that Brereton's form was something to do with his summer activities so it's good to hear it from the horses mouth.

Blackburn are definitely benefitting from that surprise call-up from Chile and before that they will have thought their seven-figure investment had gone to waste.

Now though they could end up making double what they paid for Brereton three years ago if they do want to sell him, with his contract situation very much up in the air.

If he carries on the form he's showing now until January then there's no way that there won't be suitors and he has the chance to attract clubs this week on international duty.