AN untimely injury thwarted John O’Sullivan on his last tilt at the Blackburn Rovers first team, but the midfielder is confident that he is good enough to make the step up after returning from a loan spell at Accrington Stanley.

Twenty months have passed since O’Sullivan made his Rovers debut as a second-half substitute on the final day of the 2012/13 season at Birmingham City.

The Irishman impressed that day - his only error being to swap his shirt with Birmingham’s Curtis Davies, before having to ask for it back after remembering that he had promised his own to his mother.

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Davies has since gone on to score in the FA Cup final with Hull City but O’Sullivan has had to wait perhaps longer than he would have hoped for his second appearance for Rovers’ first team.

After more encouraging displays in the following pre-season, injury ended his chances of retaining his place on the bench in the new campaign.

But the 21-year-old has impressed in loan spells at Southport and Accrington, and is now back at Rovers and hoping to get the opportunity to feature in tomorrow’s FA Cup tie at Charlton Athletic.

He believes he is capable of making the step up to the Rovers first team.

“I’ve no doubts that I can do,” he said. “I train with the lads every day and I’ve watched hundreds of games in the Championship.

“You have to be realistic to yourself and what you’re capable of, and I’ve no doubt that I’m capable of playing for Blackburn, it’s just down to different circumstances.

“If the gaffer wants to take a chance on me, I’m ready to take the chance.

“Obviously when I get in and get the chance I have to show everyone that I am good enough.

“It’s not just about talking about how good you are, you have to go in and show that, which I did against Birmingham.

“I was unlucky with the injury after that. It was the last pre-season game before the season started and I was out until December.

“That was when I went on loan to Southport because there weren’t enough under 21 games to get back to the level I was at.

“But I think everything that has gone on since the injury has actually helped me grow up as a person and improve as a player.”

O’Sullivan scored four times in 13 appearances for Accrington in the first half of this season and Stanley boss John Coleman, who also took the midfielder to Southport last term, remains very keen to re-sign him.

But for the moment O’Sullivan is focussed on earning himself a chance in the Rovers starting XI.