ELLIOTT Bennett admits he was disappointed to see Paul Lambert go – but he is determined to prove to the new Blackburn Rovers boss why his predecessor was right to bring him to the club.

And yesterday Manchester United Under-21 coach Warren Joyce became the latest name to be put into the frame for the vacant Ewood Park hotseat.

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Bennett turned down the chance to join Bristol City on a permanent deal in January to team up with then Rovers boss Lambert for the second time in his career.

The pair first worked together at Norwich City and when the Scot came calling in the New Year transfer window the midfielder had no hesitation in accepting his invitation.

But Bennett and the rest of the Rovers squad will be working under a new manager next season after Lambert activated a clause in his contract enabling him to walk away after the final game of the campaign against Reading.

And Bennett, who scored his second and best goal for the club in the 3-1 win over the Royals, said: “I was disappointed to see him go.

“Blackburn Rovers is a massive club – it doesn’t need selling by any manager – but with the manager being here and with him having taken me to Norwich there was a big connection between me and him.

“Once I knew he wanted to sign me again it was a no-brainer for me. I’m disappointed that he’s left but the gaffer is a man of principles and morals and he made his decision and everyone has to respect that.

“I’ll come back in pre-season and work as hard as everyone else and hopefully impress who is in charge at the time.

“It’ll be up to me to work hard in training and be selected. I’ll have to perform and bring something to the team and I’ll be looking to do that next season, definitely.”

Joyce is now ranked by bookies as second favourite behind Neil Warnock to be named the club’s new boss.

A report yesterday stated that Rovers are interested in speaking to the former Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End and Burnley midfielder, who has led United’s development squad to three Under-21 Premier League titles in four years, about the post.

The club has kept the identity of the managers they have and will interview tight to its chest.

But Joyce, whose father Walter made 135 appearances for Rovers in the 1960s, is a manager they have given consideration to, along with the likes of Warnock, Neil Redfearn, Russell Slade and Alan Stubbs.

Bennett said: “It will be good if the club can move quite quickly, especially with the summer coming up.

“We’ve got a lot of players out of contract, there are other players from other clubs out of contract, and teams start looking at doing their recruitment for next season, so it would be good if it could get sorted out quickly.

“But I’m just a small piece in the massive puzzle that is Blackburn Rovers and it is the same at every football club.

“We have no say over what happens and whatever the owners decide, it’s their club, they call the shots.

“But from a fans point of view, and a players point of view, it would be great if they could get that sorted so that, come pre-season, whoever is in charge has got a squad of players he can work with.”