TONY Mowbray hopes Connor Mahoney can see a bright future ahead at Blackburn Rovers under his guidance and has told the 20-year-old to ‘back his talent’.

Mowbray has spoken with the winger, who is out of contract this summer, and hopes the club can tie down the wide man to a new deal.

Mahoney has revealed he is enjoying the trust being placed in him by the new head coach, having come off the bench in all four games under Mowbray so far.

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And the Ewood chief hopes the former Accrington Stanley man will buy in to what he is looking to do at the club by extending his stay at Rovers.

“I have sat down with Connor, as I have tried to sit down with most of the players, and I am aware of the contract situation,” Mowbray said.

“I hope he feels as if he’s going to get a chance with me as the football coach. I like talent, I play talent, and I like young players who are enthusiastic, want to listen, learn and get better on the training pitch.

“I pass on my experience to young players and if his talent is good enough then don’t be concerned about things to do with money, because that comes.

“If you’re good enough and talented enough in this world people throw money at you and you get so much you don’t know what to do with it.

“Back his talent, that’s my message to him, and if this feels good for you and if you’re listening and watching and think you can play a part for our club knowing the manager likes footballers like you, then I don’t see a problem.

“Hopefully conversations with his advisors will go well with the club and we will wait and see.

“We need to make sure our best young talent is secured and he thinks he’s in the best place for his career.

“I’m hoping that after a chat or two with him that he feels he can play football here at Blackburn Rovers.”

Mahoney has started just one Championship game so far this season, the 2-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on February 14.

But Mowbray admitted it might not be long before he gets his chance again after some enterprising displays off the bench.

He added: “I have been in the building two weeks and I don’t know, and haven’t felt, the Connor Mahoney story grow.

“I just see him as a young lad on the football pitch with talent that can help our team.

“He wasn’t in the starting team when I got here, the starting team has done pretty well, but he’s got on the pitch every time and done pretty well.

“I have talked about the number of games, this (Norwich City) will be the fifth in 15 days, and at some point the wide players, who work particularly hard in my football teams, will be changed because of the workload you’re asking them to do and the mileage they’re covering every game.

“His opportunity to start matches is just around the corner, it’s coming, and he has to be ready.

“Regarding his immediate future, hopefully he sees it here.  I’m not losing sleep about it, but I would hope that a young footballer who has come up through the ranks is one that wants to stay because he sees his future playing for Rovers and helping us win football matches and go in the right direction.”