Tony Mowbray has described Stewart Downing as a "freak", with the Blackburn Rovers manager paying tribute to remarkable work rate of the 35-year-old since his move to Ewood Park.
Downing joined Rovers on a free transfer this summer following his departure from Championship rivals Middlesbrough, and has already established himself as a key figure in the club's set up.
The midfield veteran has featured in all but one of Blackburn's league games so far this season, starting 16 of them, and it seems as though Downing's desire to play football is just the same off the pitch as it is on it.
Speaking about Downing to the Lancashire Telegraph, Mowbray revealed: “He loves football. That’s why at 35 he trains every day, I don’t think he’s missed a day yet.
“He wants to go out there and kick a ball and be with the lads. I’ve had lots of old players in my career and if they could get away with training on a Friday and playing on a Saturday they would do it.
“Stewy Downing doesn’t want to miss a session. He’s a bit of a freak how he keeps going.
“He can play anywhere for us, we have to keep him fit and keep him going. But we have to look after him and make sure we don’t overload him."
That versatility is something that has proved crucial for Rovers in recent matches, with Downing stepping in at left-back in wins over Brentford and Stoke in his side's last two games with Greg Cunningham and Derrick Williams out through injury, and Amari'i Bell seemingly down the pecking order at Ewood Park.
Discussing whether that could see Downing set for an extended spell in that particular area of the pitch, Mowbray continued: "I don’t sit here thinking about whether it’s long-term at left-back, Derrick Williams and Amari’i Bell might have something to say about that.
“It was always an option when he came to my house in the summer with his father and sat in my house. I talked about left-back, left and right midfield, central midfield and he was open to any of them."
Blackburn are currently 11th in the Championship following a run of three straight wins since the November international break, with Rovers next in action when they host Derby County at Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Verdict
I think this is part of the reason why Downing has already become such a popular figure around Ewood Park.
His ability and determination on the pitch had already enabled him to quickly endear himself to the Blackburn faithful, and this is only going to help him to do that further.
The dedication that Downing is showing here, highlights just how seriously he has taken his move to Ewood Park, and that too will be appreciated by the club's fans as they look to force their way up the table this season.
Indeed, with Downing having only joined on a one-year contract in the summer, there may well already be some Rovers fans starting to hope the club look to tie him down to a deal for next season, despite the fact he is now approaching the latter stages of his career.