DARIO Marcolin is hoping to earn a £1 million permanent move to Ewood by helping Blackburn Rovers stay in the Premiership.

But, even if Rovers were to take the dreaded drop, the Lazio man insists he would still be happy to stay.

Roy Hodgson paid Lazio £100,000 to take Marcolin on extended loan until the end of the season with an agreement to pay a further £900,000 in summer if they wanted to make the deal permanent.

Marcolin recently went back home to Italy for a short spell as his wife was having the couple's first baby.

But on his return the Ewood injury crisis handed him a chance to make his mark and he hopes he has made a good impression.

"The injuries to the other players are a good opportunity for me, and I want to play," he said. "When I came here I arrived under the old manager Roy Hodgson and initially I had a problem with Brian Kidd. He did not know me but now he knows me, and I admire him a lot. "He knows that I'm happy to play for Blackburn and I feel I can help the team.

"I have a contract until May and I don't know if the manager or the club want me to stay for one or two seasons after that.

"I'm very happy playing for Blackburn and I like the stadium and the people. I would be very happy if the manager wants me to stay.

"Relegation does not bother me. That's no problem, and if the club want me I will stay here and play whether it is in the Premier League or the Football League.

"Of course I would prefer to play in the Premier League and I think Blackburn will stay in the Premier League because it is a good club with good players.

"We have been unlucky in the last two weeks because we have had to play five games, which is not good for us."

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