FORMER Burnley striker Ian Wright is hoping Blackburn Rovers can breach the Premier League's top four and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Rovers lie in fifth after 10 games following their best start to a top-flight season since their Championship-winning campaign in 1995.

Sunday's last-gasp 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, thanks to goals from Benni McCarthy and Chris Samba, saw Rovers move up a place just behind Chelsea on goal difference and a point in front of Saturday's opponents Liverpool.

And the former Burnley and England star is hoping that Mark Hughes' men, who have won their last six games in all competitions, can break the stranglehold on the Champions League places exerted by Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

He said: "It would be fantastic for English football if Blackburn not only finished in a European place but actually managed to scrape a Champions League spot.

"They have slipped in there without anyone noticing but fair play to Mark Hughes and everyone at Blackburn.

"What a terrific job they are all doing at Ewood Park. Hughes deserves an enormous amount of credit for getting this far. They're not only an effective team but also a nice one to watch.

"And Hughes has not spent anywhere near as much as other clubs.

"It would give everyone a bit of hope."