RYAN Nyambe making his first Blackburn Rovers start is as important for the teenager as it is to the other young players at the club, according to boss Owen Coyle.

The full back was handed his first Championship start in the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town as he came in for the suspended Ben Marshall.

The 19-year-old became the latest Academy graduate in the first-team bow joining Darragh Lenihan and Jason Lowe in the starting line-up.

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Scott Wharton and Connor Mahoney have also had chances under Coyle and the Rovers boss hopes Nyambe’s inclusion will only inspire the rest of the club’s youngsters.

“The message it sends through the whole club is great,” Coyle said.

“It’s great to see another young player, as they have with Scott Wharton and Connor Mahoney, getting chances.

“It also sends a message to the other young ones that can certainly play that if Ryan can get a chance then I could be the next one and that’s what we want.

“We want to make sure we’re sending the same consistent message through the club as we have been.

“We know we’ve been playing well and know we’re going in the right direction.”

Nyambe put in an encouraging display against the Terriers against one of the Championship’s most dangerous wingers in Rajiv van La Parra.

Coyle believes Nyambe will remain grounded and the manager must now decide now having the decision of whether to stick with the right back or recall Marshall for the trip to Preston on Saturday.

Of Nyambe, who was a late substitute in the win over Brentford last month, Coyle added: “I thought he did very well in the circumstances, coming up against a very good player in van La Parra.

“It will have been a great experience for him, and that’s what we want to do, grow our young players in to the team and having that mechanism of coming through the Academy and playing in front of their own supporters.

“He should take a lot from the day.

“With the lad he is, he will remain grounded anyway, and like anything, he was trying to find his feet early in the game which wasn’t easy because Huddersfield dominated the early part.

“But he stood up against a very good player, and he stood toe-to-toe with him so he will only benefit from that.”

Coyle also had praise for the Rovers supporters who stuck with their side despite a nervy opening against Huddersfield.

The Ewood chief added: “I thought the supporters were excellent, they really helped to keep the players going. That was important.”