BILLY McKinlay is determined to make his mark with Blackburn Rovers.

And, if he gets another chance against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road tomorrow you can bet he will do everything he can to take it.

For the gritty midfield player has already shown he has the single-minded attitude necessary to survive and eventually flourish in English football.

McKinlay gave an impressive second-half performance at Portman Road last Saturday, displaying the qualities that those North of the border have become accustomed to seeing for several years.

But it was simply another challenge to the Scottish international who, like most of his fellow-countrymen, seems to thrive in that situation.

Although he moved South for a big fee and was already an established member of the Scottish international squad, McKinlay took nothing for granted when he joined Rovers.

There are no airs and graces about this man.

He has been asked to play wide on the left in previous games but, through the illness to Lars Bohinen and David Batty's injury, was handed the opportunity to play a central midfield role at Ipswich and was a significant influence on the game as Rovers turned it round in the second half. "It's not my favourite position (wide on the left), in the centre of midfield is more natural for me." he said.

"But when you come to a club as big as Blackburn Rovers you cannot pick and choose your position.

"You just want to be playing and you go out and do your best and hope it's good enough."

It certainly was at Ipswich, even though the team and individual performances were lacking in the first half - a fact readily acknowledged by the former Dundee United man.

"The pitch was shocking and that didn't help," he said.

"But we were a wee bit sloppy in the first half.

"In the second half they weren't in it and I thought we could have won it.

"People are always looking for a shock result in that type of game but I felt we showed the right attitude to earn a replay."

Bohinen, presumably, will be fit and well again by tomorrow and Batty too has made progress.

That will make McKinlay's task of claiming a place in his favoured position more difficult. But there is no doubt that the Scot has the right sort of attitude to ensure that, eventually, he will succeed - in one position or another - in making a success of his new career in England.

And, with the European Championship finals coming up in June, he will be doubly keen to make a major contribution with Rovers.

For, with the likes of Colin Hendry and Kevin Gallacher well established on the Rovers staff, Scotland coach Craig Brown's attention is never far away from Ewood.

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