GOALKEEPER Simon Eastwood has urged his Blackburn Rovers team-mates to relish being underdogs in today’s FA Cup clash with Swansea City (12.45pm).

It was only 10 years ago that Swansea were playing in League Two but they will go into today’s fourth-round tie at Ewood Park as favourites after establishing themselves in the top-flight.

Eastwood admits winning promotion and the chance to play alongside the likes of the Welsh club again on a weekly basis remains Rovers’ main aim for the season despite their dip in league form.

But he believes an FA Cup run would breed confidence and sees no reason why they cannot progress to the last 16 of the competition as the pressure will be on the Swans.

Eastwood said: “I think it’s a good game for us and one the lads are looking forward to.

“It’s a Premier League side coming to Ewood so I think it will be a good game and it will definitely be a tough game as we know what they can do.

“They are a solid Premier League side so we have just got to try and compete, give 100 per cent and see where it goes.

“The lads are going to enjoy it because there’s not too much expected of us because they are a Premier League side.

“Everybody knows our main priority is the league but we’d like to have a cup run too.”

Rovers will go into the game on the back of a four-match winless league run which has seen them slip to 10th in the Championship and eight points off the play-offs.

And Eastwood said: “I think we’ve been unlucky with some recent results and it’s been a little bit of dip in form.

“But the gaffer is doing all the right things and the lads are sticking together and that’s the main thing.

“We’ll keep fighting and we’ll get through it. You saw last season we got a good run together near the end and that’s what we’ll try and start this season.”

Jason Steele has established himself as Rovers’ number one since his move from Middlesbrough.

But Eastwood was given the nod over Steele for the third-round win at Charlton Athletic and he hopes he will be between the posts against the Swans.

He said: “I’m not sure if I’ll play, I’ve just got to see. Hopefully the gaffer will give me the nod.

“Saturday is a good game for the lads to show what we can do a against Premiership side so if I do get called up I’ll try and put a good performance in.

“It’s quite a tricky one as a number two, if you like, so if you do get into side and you do your job well it is a good feeling.

“It’s one of them where you’ve got to wait for your chance and hopefully when the chance comes along you take it.”