TONY Mowbray is looking to restore lost pride among Blackburn Rovers fans and lead the club back in to the Championship at the first attempt.

Mowbray wants supporters to be proud of their club once again after agreeing to stay on as head coach despite relegation to League One.

He now faces the task of trying to build a side capable of winning promotion, with 15 players under contract for next season.

The squad will need to be strengthened following the departure of six senior players, as well as five loanees, since the end of the campaign.

But after positive meetings with owners Venky’s in India, Mowbray is hopeful a positive summer will show his intent as he looks to reverse the club’s recent fortunes.

“We have got to try and build a winning team for the supporters that have been supporting Rovers for a lot of years,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“We want to make them proud to be supporters of this club.

 “The fans will come out and support, I am sure, whatever league you are in and it’s important that we put a team on the pitch that understands that support.

“We have to put together a team that puts some pride back in to the football club, that’s got to be the target.

“What happens on the grass is the most important thing.”

Mowbray has received assurances from the Rao family that he will be given the necessary finances to launch an immediate push for promotion back to the Championship.

It follows three separate meetings in India with Venky’s in which Mowbray was also told that decisions over the futures of the club’s 15 under contract players would be his.

The departures of six senior players has helped ease the wage bill, but along with the loss of the club’s loan players, leaves Rovers with a number of gaps in their squad.

But with the right recruitment, Mowbray is confident of achieving his sole aim of promotion at the first attempt.

He added: “The target has only got to be promotion next season.

“To build a stable club that can then compete at the top end of the Championship and then hopefully somewhere down the line get back to the Premier League.

“The infrastructure at the club is good, there are some good people who work at the football club.

“I just need to add some direction of how I do things.

“I truly believe I can help this club get back to where it wants to be and help the supporters, who come and support the team, have a real pride again in Blackburn Rovers.”