DANNY Graham has been hailed as the ‘old-fashioned’ centre-forward Blackburn Rovers have been crying out for ahead of his home debut.

Graham is set to make his Ewood Park bow in this afternoon’s clash with his former club Hull City (3pm) along with fellow new boys Tony Watt and Jordi Gomez.

Watt and Gomez made themselves instant fan favourites with goals on their first appearances for Rovers.

But Paul Lambert has been just as impressed by the understated displays Graham has turned in since his loan move from Sunderland.

The 30-year-old was unable to open his account for Rovers in the 1-1 draws at Charlton Athletic and another of his old clubs Middlesbrough.

But his manager reckons Graham, who was the Championship’s leading marksman with Watford before stepping up to the Premier League with Swansea City, showed he has much more to his game.

“He’s done a lot of work which has probably gone a bit unseen, but not by me,” said Rovers boss Lambert, who grew sick of the sight of Graham when he was in charge of Norwich City.

“His work-rate and the way he plays the game has been brilliant for us. He brings people into the game and if he gets a goal I think he’ll go on a run.

“When he was coming through the ranks at Wolves and Swansea, I had at Grant Holt at Norwich, and Rickie Lambert was at Southampton. They were three kind of old school type strikers.

“And Danny Graham always, always scored against Norwich. He was an absolute pest. So I’ve always liked him.

“Off the ball, he’s different class. He brings people into the game and he makes life awkward for defenders. And the lad can finish. He’s a top, top player.

“And the kind of player I think this club has been lacking. Somebody who could get us up the pitch.”

At Middlesbrough Gomez played behind Graham and Watt at the tip of a midfield diamond that Lambert had last operated in the 1-0 defeat at Cardiff City on January 2 when Tom Lawrence, Jordan Rhodes and Fode Koita were still at the club.

“We played a diamond at Cardiff when we had Fode, Jordan and Tom Lawrence but the front three who played last week of Watt, Gomez and Graham is a different kettle of fish,” said Lambert.

“I’m delighted with the way they performed last week.

“Tony Watt is unpredictable. Sometimes he will do something fantastic and then another time he might give the ball away and you think, ‘he shouldn’t have done that’.

“But he’s only a young lad, he’s only 22, but he’s a big, big talent. Gomez is 30, so he’s got a lot more time on him than Watt, but he’s top, top class.”