This summer looks set to be one of change in Blackburn Rovers' first-team squad.

With plenty of players out of contract at this summer, and several more only on loan until the end of the current campaign, there looks set to be a significant amount of business done at Ewood Park when the transfer window reopens.

Those two things of course, mean that it does seem likely that some players will be moving on from Blackburn Rovers when the season comes to an end.

In some cases, that could mean the end of some rather long spells at the club for certain players, who may have spent significant portions of the career at plying their trade at Ewood Park.

But just who has been doing that the longest for Rovers? Here, in order to help find out, we've taken a look at the ten longest serving players in Tony Mowbray's current squad, based on when they joined the first-team - in the case of academy graduates - according to Transfermarkt.

We start this list with Joe Rothwell, whose move to Blackburn as their first signing of the 2018 summer transfer window, makes him the tenth longest serving player in the club's senior side.

Since then, the midfielder has gone on to make 117 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists in that time.

While he can be inconsistent on occasions, Rothwell's quality when he is on top of his game can make him one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders in the division, so Rovers it makes sense that the club are keen to secure a new deal for him, with his current contract expiring this summer.

Bell was brought in by Rovers from Fleetwood Town in the 2018 winter transfer window to provide cover for Derrick Williams at left-back, arriving at the club on the 19th January.

That is enough to secure Bell the position of ninth longest serving member in Tony Mowbray's first-team at Ewood Park, although the recently capped Jamaica international hasn't always found himself at the top of the pecking in that position at Rovers, and he has made 97 appearances in his three-and-half years at the club.

As a result, with just two games remaining this season, and his contract another that is set to expire this summer, the 26-year-old could miss out on the landmark of a century of appearances for the club by the narrowest of margins.

Arriving at Ewood Park on loan from Newcastle on the 9th January 2018, Armstrong just pips Bell to eighth place in the list of longest serving Rovers players.

Having played an important role in helping Blackburn win promotion during his Ewood Park loan, Rovers moved quickly to secure Armstrong's services on a permanent basis that same summer.

The past couple of season have seen Armstrong's efforts in front of goal prove crucial to keeping Tony Mowbray's side competitive in the Championship, with 25 in all competitions this season alone, meaning it is little surprise to see the 24-year-old being heavily linked with a move to the Premier League ahead of the summer transfer window.

A graduate of Rovers' academy, Travis made the step up to the club's senior side during the 2017/18 season, making a handful of appearances as the club won promotion to the Championship, putting him seventh in these standings.

Since the club's return to the second-tier of English football, Travis' tenacity and commitment in the centre of midfield have made him an increasingly important figure in Blackburn's senior setup, with the 23-year-old having now made more than 100 appearances for the club in all competitions.

With two years remaining on his current Rovers contract, there will be plenty associated with the club hoping he continues to add to that tally, and climb this list, in the years to come.

The signing of Bradley Dack from Gillingham by Blackburn following their relegation from the Championship in the summer of 2017 remains one of the best bits of business done by the club in recent years, and makes the attacker the sixth longest serving player in Rovers' current squad.

Dack's first two-and-a-half seasons at Ewood Park saw him play an absolutely vital role in Blackburn's return to the Championship, and subsequently their competitiveness in the divison.

Two serious ACL injuries have badly hampered the 27-year-old over the past year and a half, but with two years - plus the option of a further 12 months - on his contract with Blackburn, there is plenty of time for him to add to those tallies move further up this list.

Stepping up to Blackburn's senior squad from the club's academy back in the summer of 2016, Wharton has had to wait his turn to really get a run in the Rovers' first-team.

The centre back has spent plenty of time out of on loan in previous seasons, amassing over 100 senior appearances and a handful of League Two winners medals.

It did look as though the 23-year-old was set to make himself a regular for Blackburn with some impressive performances at the heart of Rovers' defence this season, but a serious knee injury suffered in the draw at Brentford back in December means he will not be back until next season, when he will be in the final year of his current contract at Ewood Park.

Another academy graduate who made the step up to Blackburn's senior side in the summer of 2016, is Ryan Nyambe.

Unlike Wharton, the right-back did not take the loan route into senior football, instead quickly making himself a regular feature in the Rovers first-team, where his improvement over the past few years has been dramatic, and he is now one of the most reliable players in Mowbray's side.

The Namibian has now made 167 appearances in all competitions for the club, and the fact his contract is set to expire at the end of this season, has to be one of the main concerns for Rovers going into the summer.

Bennett made the move to Blackburn from Norwich back in the 2016 January transfer window, which reunited him with his former Canaries boss Paul Lambert, and means he is not Rovers' third longest serving player.

During his five years at Ewood Park, Bennett has become something of a figurehead for the club, becoming a key leader with his presence in the dressing room and wearing the armband as club captain on the pitch, where he has also demonstrated his commitment to the club by playing in several different positions when required to do so.

In total, the 32-year-old has now made 192 appearances in all competitions for the club, although his contract is set to expire at the end of this season, meaning his future at Ewood Park is seemingly up in the air at this moment in time.

The importance of Rovers' academy to the club is once again on show in this list here with Darragh Lenihan, whose step up from the youth setup to senior level in the summer of 2014 puts him second on this list.

Making his debut late in the 2014/15 season, Lenihan has gradually become an ever more important feature at centre back for Rovers, to the point where he has become the regular on-field captain in the injury-enforced absence of Bennett this season in particular.

In total, the Irishman has now made over 200 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn, and is about to enter the final year of his contract at Ewood Park, something the club may want to address sooner rather than later.

Corry Evans joined Blackburn from Hull City all the way back in the summer of 2013, just a year after the club's relegation from the Premier League, making him comfortably the club's longest serving player.

The midfielder has struggled with injuries on a number of occasions while at Ewood Park, but has still made more appearances for the club than any other current Blackburn player (218), and can often be found the dirty deep in midfield for the side.

However, the Northern Ireland international is out of contract with Rovers at the end of this season, and as a result, it remains to be seen just how long he will retain this position for.