PAUL Lambert believes youngster Darragh Lenihan has the ability and the mental strength to be a Blackburn Rovers regular.

Lambert has brought the 21-year-old Academy graduate off the bench in Rovers’ last two Championship matches.

And he is giving serious consideration to starting Lenihan in this afternoon’s home clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.

That could come at centre-back with the injured Shane Duffy set to be sidelined for the rest of the month.

But Lambert reckons Lenihan’s best position is in midfield where he impressed at Cardiff City and, before Duffy went off, at home to QPR on Tuesday.

“Darragh has been close since I walked through the door,” said Lambert. “I’ve liked what I’ve saw in him and he’s knocking at the door.

“I see his best in position in midfield. That’s where I see him. I know he dropped back there the other night but midfield is his best role and, if he keeps his head, and keeps his feet on the ground, he’s definitely got a right good chance.

“The great thing about Darragh is he has that great thing – shyness. I’m joking by the way! I think Darragh would hold his own in most company.

“He’s mentally strong enough to deal with it. I’ve got no qualms about him playing.

“The first time I saw him I thought he can definitely play. He is desperate to do well and he is desperate to play in the side.

“And more importantly he can handle it. He can handle the mental magnitude of it and the mental side of it to win games. And he’s got ability. He’s definitely got ability.

“Youngsters need confidence without being big-headed. I always think if you’re a young player and you become big-headed at an early age you’re in big trouble. You’re in major trouble because you start believing your own hype and you think you can start to go and do things.

“Darragh’s come out of the teenager stage and now he should be making a mark on it. I like the way he goes about it. He’s unfazed and he’s a nice lad.

“And, if he keeps that and keeps working hard, he’s definitely got a chance to be a good player.”

If Lenihan does not make Lambert’s line-up today, then he should start in Monday’s rearranged FA Cup third-round tie at Newport County.

“It’s a tough one,” said Lambert, whose side are away to Charlton Athletic a week today.

“We are going to have to get over a tough game on Saturday, against Brighton, have one day recovery, then go again on the Monday, against Newport.

“You’ve just got to come through Saturday and then see what players are available for two games in three days. That’s the big thing because some of them haven’t done that for a while.

“We were caught between a rock and a hard place with the Newport game because if we played it on the Tuesday it would have given us less time to recover for the Saturday. The downside of playing Monday is that you’re playing two days earlier.

“We were trying to work out what was best for the team to recover for the Saturday, and Monday seems better than the Tuesday.”

Rovers will go into this afternoon’s encounter having drawn two and lost three of their last five matches.

But their opponents Brighton, who just a month ago were joint top, are in even poorer form having failed to score in any of their last six winless games.

Lambert said: “They’ve probably not done much differently than when they were getting results.

“The league gives you that opportunity where you can be up one minute and then down the next.

“They’re still a good side.”