ROVERS boss Tony Mowbray believes the departure of Anthony Stokes suited all parties.

Rovers and Stokes reached an agreement over the remaining two years of his contract which has seen the striker leave Ewood Park with immediate effect.

The 28-year-old is expected to seal a return to former club Hibs who have pursued the Irishman throughout the summer, and also had a loan offer in January rejected.

Stokes has had well documented personal problems since arriving in East Lancashire from Celtic last summer on a three-year deal.

He leaves Rovers after just 12 appearances and three goals, but hadn’t featured in pre-season under Mowbray having made just one appearance since he took charge in March.

“I think it’s the best thing for everyone, for the club and the dressing room, and Anthony who wanted to leave and get back up north,” Mowbray added.

“He has had his personal problems and if it’s best for Anthony to move up north and for the football club to move on then hopefully it suits everyone.”

Stokes scored three goals in his opening two Rovers appearances, but would find the net just once more, in the Checkatrade Trophy, and didn’t start a Championship game after the opening month of the season.

He was handed a suspended jail sentence in February following an assault in Dublin back in 2013 and Mowbray revealed in March that off-field issues were behind Stokes’ absence from the team.

But after his release from Rovers, Hibs boss Neil Lennon has confirmed his side’s interest.

He said: “I think it’s fair to say that we are in talks with Anthony, we’ve made him a really strong offer so the ball is in the court of Anthony and his agent so we will wait and see and hope he sees Hibs as the next stage of his career.”