ONE of Tony Mowbray’s most immediate changes after taking over as Rovers boss was moving Charlie Mulgrew on to set plays.

It has certainly paid dividends as the League One player of the month for November has since gone on to score five goals from dead ball situations as well as chalking up a number of assists.

In Owen Coyle’s final match in charge, the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, Mulgrew had played in midfield, before Mowbray returned him to the centre of the Rovers defence where he has played ever since.

Adept at two positions and happy to play anywhere despite his preference for centre half, Mulgrew’s versatility could provide Mowbray with another option in the middle of the park upon Darragh Lenihan’s return to fitness. But it’s certainly not a switch the boss has contemplated.

“I like centre halves who can start the play off from the back,” Mowbray explained. “As we have found with some of the teams that we’re playing if they have defenders who can’t pass the ball you can press them and they will give it back to you.

“If you have good footballers at the back and teams press then you can play through their lines and their first line of the press is gone because a defender has passed through it so I like good footballers at the back.

“In my mind Mulgrew can start the team off with playing out from the back.

“I prefer him at the back, I haven’t tried him once in midfield since I have been here and I don’t envisage playing him in midfield but I know the history of Charlie Mulgrew and know he can play in midfield and has for this club.

“Without saying never, I would have to say that I see him as a central defender.”

Mowbray made Mulgrew his captain in the summer, and the former Celtic man, whose contract runs until 2019, was one player the Rovers boss was determined to keep hold of following relegation from the Championship.

“I was pretty adamant and I spoke to the owners the ones under contract who I liked should be staying. I have to say and respect to them all they got their heads down and got on with it,” the boss said.

“There’s business involved of course and if bids had come in that we couldn’t have turned down or we could have used to bring different players in then we would have done that but it didn’t happen.

“Great credit to them, they got their heads down and that’s what I would say about Mulgrew.

“He’s a good human being who understands this is his job, his profession and this is the club that employs him and pays his salary. He works like a Trojan.

“What surprised me about Charlie Mulgrew was how intense he trains every day.

“Sometimes talented players just stroll through the day and don’t get involved in any physical challenges and make sure they don’t get injured, but Charlie throws his body on the line at any five-a-side or small sided drill and whatever phase we’re doing like it’s his last. And that’s great credit to him.”