MATT Kilgallon is hoping he has done enough to retain his place in Blackburn Rovers boss Gary Bowyer’s starting line-up.

And the 31-year-old has backed his younger centre-back partner Grant Hanley to show why he is going to be a ‘top’ defender.

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Kilgallon made his first league start in three months in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic alongside 23-year-old captain Hanley.

The pair were instrumental in helping Rovers produce a much improved defensive performance.

And Kilgallon, who has tasted only two defeats in his last 23 Championship starts for Bowyer’s side, said: “I felt good considering I haven’t played a lot and I felt I did all right.

“It was great to be back out there as you get sick of training all week and then sitting on your backside at weekends.

“It was a derby and adrenalin helped me through it but, to be fair, I’ve kept myself while I’ve not been playing.

“You’ve got to because you know you can be thrown it at any time. I have been and, as I say, I felt good.”

Kilgallon was named Rovers’ man-of-the-match at the DW Stadium but he was pushed close by the under-fire Hanley.

And Kilgallon said: “Grant’s a young lad and because he looks about 45 people forget that.

“He is a young lad and he is going to make mistakes but he’s going to be a top centre-half.

“Sometimes he may get a bit of stick but he gets that because people know how good he can be.

“He might have done a few sloppy things but he knows that and will learn from it.

“I like playing with Grant, sometimes playing alongside an older person works, and as a back four we looked good.”

Wigan snatched a share of the spoils after James McClean got in between Kilgallon and Hanley to head in a free kick.

Kilgallon believed former Sunderland team-mate McClean was lucky to still be on the field for a challenge he made on Markus Olsson.

But he was just as angry at the officials’ decision to award the free kick against him that led to the Latics’ leveller.

Kilgallon said: “I’ve looked at the video and their lad fouled me for the free kick.

“Waggy (Martyn Waghorn) knew he couldn’t win it in the air so he barged me beforehand.

“I went over him and then ran to get the ball for a free kick to us so I couldn’t believe the ref gave it against me.

“And you know when something like that happens something will come out of it.

“It was a great ball to be fair and a good header but we’d like to do a little bit better.”