A season of uncertainty lies ahead of Blackburn Rovers next year.

With the miserably underwhelming past few seasons that they've endured, it is easy to forget that they were once Premier League winners.

The days of Alan Shearer are long gone and avoiding relegation to League One seems to be the most pressing goal at the moment.

Blackburn fans will also be prepared for a summer of change again. Paul Lambert out and new manager Owen Coyle taking the reins. It will be interesting to see how Coyle does back in England, following a spell with Houston Dynamos in the MLS.

The Rovers will once again be hoping to avoid the drop but the more optimistic factions of their fans will have their eyes set on an unlikely play-off challenge. To achieve this, they will need their trustworthy core of players to perform consistently but also for a few to surprise everyone and perform better than expected.

Here are THREE that could surprise us next season...

 

Elliot Ward

Elliot Ward only managed seven league games for Blackburn last season, after his January transfer from Bournemouth.

The 31-year-old centre back has a lot of experience, though, and could step up for Rovers considering the imminent departure of Grant Hanley.

Ward started his career at West Ham but made his name when he moved to then-Championship side Coventry City, playing over 100 times for the Sky Blues.

Since his days at the Ricoh, Ward has had spells with Norwich, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Huddersfield.

The journeyman is a strong, industrial centre half who is capable aerially and with the ball on the floor.

He still has a lot to offer and Blackburn could find him to be a key asset in defence for them next season.

 

Stephen Hendrie

West Ham youngster Stephen Hendrie recently joined Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan deal.

This could prove to be a very effective signing.

Hendrie was one of the Scottish Premier League's top performers for Hamilton Academical before his summer switch to the Hammers in 2015.

He has found first team game time hard to come by with the Premier League side due to the fine performances of Aaron Cresswell, but has been one of the star men in the under-21 side and enjoyed a profitable loan campaign with Southend.

The 21-year-old has plenty of experience, having played 100 games for Hamilton, and can also play in midfield as well as at left back.

The Scotland under-21 international could sneakily be one of the captures of the summer so far in the Championship if he can fulfil his potential.

 

Anthony Stokes

27-year-old striker Anthony Stokes returns to England following a mixed spell in Scotland.

The former Sunderland forward enjoyed a prolific start to his SPL career with Hibernian and then Celtic.

But he was frozen out of the side by Ronny Deila having scored 58 goals in 135 games for the Scottish giants. He was subsequently loaned out to Hibernian where he scored twice and was named man of the match in their historic cup final victory.

He returns to England with unfinished business and could score plenty of goals for Blackburn.

He has big boots to fill following recent departures of goalscorers Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes but the Republic of Ireland international has the potential to cause some damage in the Championship, if he applies himself and gets the service.