Blackburn Rovers attacker Tyrhys Dolan wants to be the player his side can turn to in Ben Brereton Diaz's absence, speaking to Lancs Live.

Chilean Brereton-Diaz has been Rovers' most important player since Adam Armstrong and Harvey Elliott's departures last year, stepping up in the duo's absence to start the 2021/22 season in fine form.

Recording 22 goals in 37 league appearances last term, he was key in keeping Rovers in the top half of the table - and his importance to the side was showcased during the latter stages of the season when the Lancashire outfit declined.

 

 

At that point, the Chile international was out injured for a period and then wasn't in the best goalscoring form, and that proved to be crucial in consigning Rovers to a midtable finish despite having one of the more favourable fixture lists during the late stages of last term.

He hasn't let that affect him though, making a strong start to this season too with four goals in 10 second-tier games with the 23-year-old attracting interest from the Premier League and La Liga.

His contract expires next summer and with Brereton-Diaz potentially set to leave at that point, Jon Dahl Tomasson will need to count on others to step up to the plate, with 20-year-old Dolan wanting to be a reliable alternative to his teammate.

Speaking to Lancs Live, the youngster said: "I want to be a player people look at and know I'll provide goals and assists.

"If Brereton is injured, we cannot be wondering where the goals are going to come from.

"I want to be the one where people are like 'alright, he's not there, but we know that Ty can score or create a goal'. I just want to be really important for the team."

The Verdict:

Other players do need to step up to the plate and ensure they are making a valuable contribution to the cause - and they definitely have the attacking players at their disposal to be a force even without the Chilean.

Dolan has a decent amount of experience under his belt now and will only benefit from working alongside Brereton-Diaz, so he should already be ready to make a reasonably decent impact with plenty of room to improve as well considering his age.

Sam Gallagher can also be clinical on his day and a presence up top, another reason why Rovers can be optimistic regardless of what happens in terms of their star man's future.

Ryan Hedges has also shown flashes of brilliance this term and it will only be a matter of time before he gets in and amongst the goals more, with Dilan Markanday likely to be a real asset for the future as well.

It remains to be seen what impact George Hirst can make following his spell in League One - but the presence of an experienced Gallagher should help him to adjust to life in the second tier.