OWEN Coyle is confident Blackburn Rovers will be able to keep striker Sam Gallagher for the full duration of his loan spell.

Gallagher has impressed since arriving at Ewood on a season-long loan in August, scoring seven times in 15 starts for the club.

Reports last week suggested a number of Premier League and Championship clubs had made enquiries about signing the 21-year-old when the transfer window re-opens next month.

The player himself has admitted he is enjoying his time with Rovers, and Coyle sees no reason why the striker won’t see out his loan spell at Ewood Park which runs until the end of the season.

When asked about the speculation, Coyle, who revealed he had not spoken to Southampton about Gallagher’s future, said: “For me that’s a simple one, Sam Gallagher is an outstanding young player who is getting better and better.

“Southampton recognise that he is a very good player but they wanted him to improve which is why they loaned him to us.

“I would like to think that we have been able to help Sam on his journey and he loves being here.

“I don’t see for one second why Southampton would be looking to sell Sam to anyone else and we obviously have the loan for the season.

“Southampton are delighted with how it’s going and I always said it was a win-win scenario because Sam gets a chance to play and show his quality, we get a very good young player, and Southampton, when he returns, get a better player back.”

Gallagher twice went close to adding to his goal tally in the draw with Huddersfield Town and was also the player pulled to the ground by Michael Hefele that saw Rovers awarded the penalty which Danny Graham fired home to earn them a share of the spoils.

Gallagher’s performances, and goals, won’t have gone un-noticed elsewhere and the former England youth international is winning plenty of praise from the Ewood faithful.

It is a change in fortune for striker Gallagher who failed to score in 15 outings in the Championship for MK Dons last year and saw his season-long loan spell cut short by the Saints in January.

But Coyle admits he always had faith in the frontman’s ability.

“When we took Sam Gallagher, everyone has an opinion, and there were one or two people saying that he didn’t do well at MK Dons so why are Blackburn Rovers signing him?” the Rovers boss added.

“We signed him because I had seen him and I knew this kid could play.

“He had a difficult time at MK Dons for whatever reason but I certainly believe in him and I trust him.

“You have seen the quality that he’s got so it’s nice when your opinions are vindicated as it has been with (Tommie) Hoban and (Marvin) Emnes.

“We think we have brought, under difficult financial circumstances, some good players to the club, and Sam Gallagher is one of them.”