MATT Kilgallon says the ‘gutted’ Blackburn Rovers squad do not want boss Paul Lambert to leave.

Lambert informed his players of his decision to walk away at the end of the season before the club announced it on Thursday afternoon.

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And, after Rovers returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory at Rotherham United on Saturday, defender Kilgallon said: “The lads were gutted when the gaffer said he’d be leaving. It was very strange when he told us.

“Then he took the game on Saturday, but he’s professional, he had us all going again, and I think that showed in the way we played. We did everything right and we were professional.

“But it did come as a shock. In football rumours fly about all the time so we had half a sniff about it.

“But we did not want him to go, so we were like, ‘he won’t do it’, but it shows just what type of man he is. He doesn’t want to take any messing about.

“That was it. We don’t know what’s happened. He said he was leaving and that was it.”

Lambert has activated an escape clause in his two-and-a-half year contract after failing to receive the backing he wanted from Rovers’ owners Venky’s.

His 33rd and last match in charge of the club will be at home to Reading on Saturday.

Rovers will go into their final game of the Championship campaign having ended their six-match winless run by beating Rotherham.

And Kilgallon said: “It was a very good performance. We went out there and enjoyed it.

“We said beforehand, ‘let’s go out there, show the fans what we can do, and enjoy it’, and that’s what we did.

“The fans were outstanding, they got right behind us, and I think we worked well together.

“We had to show the fans we can be professional, even though the season is sort of done now and after everything that has gone on with the gaffer.

“When they get behind you like that it makes you want to play even more to impress them and, as I said, I think we worked well together doing it.

“Hopefully going into next season now, whatever happens, we believe in ourselves a bit more and play with a bit more freedom and show what we can do.”

Kilgallon is ending a ‘frustrating’ campaign in the starting line-up and, after playing out of position at left-back to cover for the injured Tommy Spurr, he moved inside on Saturday after Lambert switched to a three-man defence.

“We did that because of their long throws and because they’ve got some big players,” said the 32-year-old, who is one of eight soon to be out of contract players sweating on their futures.

“We won every first header and we defended well.

“It’s been frustrating because I’ve not played anywhere near enough but the gaffer asked me to do a job at left-back and I thought it’s better to be out there at least rather than sitting on the bench or in the stand.

“I’ve tried my best there and I played in a three on Saturday and when you start to put a run of games together you start feeling better and better.

“And I think on Saturday I looked I was a bit more at it in the middle and I think you could tell that, while I’m getting older, I’ve still got it.”