Andrew Moran insists his first senior loan at Blackburn Rovers has been a hugely positive learning curve for him.

The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder will return to the Seagulls this summer after spending the campaign at Ewood Park.

Moran was a regular in the team under Jon Dahl Tomasson and showed his best form during the early months. His performances in Rovers' four-match winning run during November particularly stood out.

The 20-year-old was probably a victim of the injury crisis Rovers suffered in December. In his first loan, Moran was overused and his form suffered as a result.

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He never really recaptured his best form, with John Eustace preferring older heads in the heat of a tight relegation scrap. But there were flashes of real quality from Moran, particularly in the early months.

"It's been brilliant, my first real year playing regularly in men's football," Moran told RoversTV.

"I couldn't have asked for much more. I've had the trust of both managers and I have loved it.

"I was walking into the unknown, I've never been in a Championship squad before. I didn't know how much I'd play and I'd have bitten your hand off if you'd told me at the start of the year.

"It's been brilliant and a great experience. I have learned so much, I don't think I'll realise it until the summer. Being around top, senior pros, I have soaked in a lot.

"Obviously, we'd have liked to have finished better, higher up the league. I am very grateful to this club for the opportunity.

"I have loved it and my time at the club. I'll always look back on it with fond memories."

He added: "There have been spells when we were winning games regularly, we had a great spell just before Christmas around November when we were flying.

"When the games are so quick, you can't wait. You're tired but can't even tell because you're so high. There have been good spells and not good spells.

"Every month has been a learning curve for me. I've had so many new situations and that can only help me. It feels bad in the moment but I think that can stand me in good stead.

"It's the hardest thing to do in football. It's easier when you're confident but it's when you're in the rough spells you have to find ways to still be six, seven out of ten. It's something I can work on."

The Championship can be a gruelling division for seasoned pros to navigate. For a young player, experiencing the relentless schedule for the first time, it can make or break them.

Moran has relished that challenge though. Even in the darker moments of Rovers' season, he believes that those experiences will benefit him in the future.

"It's a tough league, relentless, the games come thick and fast particularly in the first half of the season.

"It can be tough when you lose a game and you've another game two days later. But when you win you're back out again and feeling confident.

"It's brilliant to play, the quality and intensity is so high. The highs are really high and the lows can be very low. It's about staying in the middle ground when things go well or going for you.

"I've had spells when I have played really well and then somewhere I haven't. Finding that consistency is something I can work on.

"The Stoke goal was my favourite, not the prettiest goal but my first in the league. Doing it right in front of the away fans was unreal. We'd played well, 1-0 and a bit nervy so to get the second and kill the match was class.

"I hadn't scored until that point and I don't know how. I'd had a few cleared off the line and one at Coventry that didn't count. It was a relief."