David Raya is closing in on a 50th consecutive start as Rovers goalkeeper since first being handed the gloves by Tony Mowbray in April 2017.

It has been a long road for the 22-year-old but one full of improvement, demonstrated by his selection in the League One team of the year.

He has collected 16 clean sheets along the way, and countless impressive saves, not least the flying one-handed stop to deny a George Cooper free-kick in the Peterborough win.

He has grown in stature, but believes there are further improvements that he can make.

Raya has been rewarded for his progress with two new deals in as many years and looks set to be between the sticks for a number of years to come.

“It was just over a year since I played my first game under the gaffer and it has gone really quickly,” Raya recalled.

“You improve game by game and having the experience to play every week.

“I feel that I have improved a lot but there is a lot to get better at and improve.

“All the work you do every week in training and the games, you have to develop as a player, work hard every day in training and no matter if you win or lose you have to work hard and improve.

“Hopefully we get back in to playing the same games next year.”

Raya had made just 13 Rovers appearances prior to this extended run, having previously played second fiddle to Jason Steele.

Steele had made 87 consecutive starts before injury saw him miss the final five matches of last season. After he moved on to Sunderland, Raya was handed the number one shirt last summer and hasn’t looked back.

And he credits those five games as being crucial in earning Mowbray’s trust.

He added: “I feel I have done my job the best I could and the results have shown that.

“I’m happy with my year playing in League One but the team has been a big part of that.

“I’ve been waiting for my chance for a long time, I think I took it in the last five games of last season and I think those five games got me in to playing this year.

“I feel the waiting, going out on loan, has all paid of and showed I am capable of playing football.”

Raya believes his 15 game loan spell with Southport in 2014/15 aided his development after making the move from his native Spain.

On where he has improved, he added: “I think my aggressiveness and crosses.

“When I was at Southport, that was tough. The physical side of that league is tough.

“They weren’t the biggest parts of my game, I think in the last year I’ve improved a lot on crosses.

“A lot of hard work has gone in to that.

“You always know the aspects of the game that you can improve.

“I knew that League One would be a tough league, a physical league, you are going to be tested every single game.

“I made a few mistakes but you have to learn and because of the mistakes I think I have improved.”