Hayden Carter insists Blackburn Rovers have underperformed this season and must stay in the Championship this weekend.

It has been a disappointing campaign for Rovers, who have spiralled since the turn of the year. The team were just outside the play-offs approaching December but have only won three matches in 2024.

That has left the club heading into the final day uncertain of their league status for next season. It is a stark contrast from this time 12 months ago when the club missed out on the play-offs due to goal difference.

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Carter did not shirk or hide away from the fact that this season has been underwhelming. The idea of dropping into League One is unthinkable, for him.

He insists there will be celebrations amongst the players if they survive in a campaign that should've had them competing at the opposite end of the division.

"It's a massive game for us and the club," Carter admitted.

"It's not what anyone planned, we wanted to push on from last year but it hasn't been the case.

"At the start of December, we were just outside the play-offs and it hasn't been an easy season since then. 

"I don't think we will be celebrating if we stay up. At the start of the season, we wanted to be in and around the play-offs.

"If we go and win, brilliant. But we won't be celebrating because we know, as a group of players, we are miles better than what we have shown this season.

"We have to stay in the league. When we came in for pre-season, we wanted to be fighting at the other end, trying to get in the Premier League.

"It'll be very disappointing if we drop down. We would be gutted. 

"But everyone is confident we can go to Leicester and beat them, as we showed last year. Everyone's up for it, excited to go there and be a part of a great atmosphere and get a result.

"We want to make sure this club is still in the Championship next year and try to go to Leicester to win the game."

Rovers have been written off before and delivered the goods. Most memorably at Leeds United a few weeks back. The team showed they can execute a game plan that requires them to be organised and clinical.

A point and their safety is confirmed, regardless of results elsewhere. Carter wouldn't swap that position, even though they face the title winners.

"It'll be difficult not knowing what is going on in other games but we have to focus on Leicester and trying to win that game," he said.

"We can't affect what is going on elsewhere so there is no use worrying about it. If we do our job, it doesn't matter.

"I think that helps. You can't rely on anyone in this division. If we had to win and rely on other results, it would be a lot more difficult.

"We know we can get a result against anyone in this division on our day. You saw that at Leeds and in the FA Cup last year, nobody thought we'd get a win there but we did.

"If we went there last year and got battered 10-0, I don't think it would have helped. We know we're more than capable of going there and getting a result."

"That sort of result gives us confidence. Nobody else had won at Elland Road this season. We went there and we were solid, Sammie got the goal on the break. There is no reason we can't do that on Saturday.

Carter ended last season in fantastic form and on a real high. This campaign has been more testing for the 24-year-old.

By his own admission and high standards, he dipped when the season started. A two-month injury lay-off was not the ideal start to 2024 either, meaning he had to bide his time under John Eustace.

"It's been challenging, it's the first real season where we have struggled really," he conceded.

"It's not been ideal. At the start of the season, I had a few games where I wasn't at my best. Then I picked up again to where I was at the end of last season.

"Since I have come back in, we won at Leeds, lost to Sheffield Wednesday and then Coventry. It's been up and down.

"When you're doing well, it's easy to think 'this is the way to do it'. For us, it's been difficult and you do learn about your character more than everything. You have to deal with setbacks and losing games.

"It's been up and down for the team and the same for me really, personally."

"As a centre-back, you pride yourself on keeping clean sheets," he added.

"Helping to the team, if we concede less we have to score less to win, it's as simple as that. We take it personally.

"We all defend as a team, the forwards from the defenders. It has been disappointing but we need to be solid at Leicester."