FORMER Blackburn favourite Jason Wilcox today said Rovers could soon be challenging for a place in the Champions League under Graeme Souness.

Wilcox and his Leeds United team-mates will attempt to scupper Rovers' chances of qualifying for next season's UEFA Cup at Elland Road tomorrow.

But the 31-year-old winger believes it won't be long before his old club is setting its sights on breaking into the Premiership's top four after hailing them as a shining example of how a top-flight outfit should be run.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all if Blackburn are soon competing for the Champions League," said Wilcox, who played the last time Rovers were in Europe's top competition.

"But if that is to happen then they've got to hold onto their best young players.

"If they can do that and get a few more coming through the system in the next few years then they stand a great chance.

"The important thing is the club is run right. They were sensible in the way they didn't panic when they did go down a couple of years ago.

"So they're a great example of how a club should be run.

"Graeme Souness has put together an excellent squad and they've done brilliantly this season.

"They appear to have a good mix of youth and experience and it's nice for me as a former player to see them doing so well again now."

While Rovers have continued to make steady progress during the last 12 months, the opposite can be said about Leeds.

The ailing Yorkshire giants have flirted with financial disaster which has resulted in the sale of a host of top stars to offset debts of £80 million, as well as hastening the departures of manager Terry Venables chief executive Peter Ridsdale.

Even now, with three games to go, United's Premiership status is still not guaranteed.

And Wilcox, who has suffered relegation from the top-flight once before at Rovers, admits the last nine months have been a nightmare.

"What's happened to us is similar in some ways to what happened at Blackburn when they got relegated," said Wilcox.

"We had three or four unbelievable years then it all caught up with us and it suddenly became difficult to keep the momentum going.

"But as a player, you just try to get on with it as much as you can on the pitch.

"We've had a lot of off the field problems with the manager and the chairman going as well as having to sell players.

"So we've never really had a settled side and we haven't been able to go on a run, which is what you need to develop a bit of confidence.

"But we've tried not to let that affect us. Whoever plays on a Saturday has just tried to go out and give 100 per cent to the team."

A win against Rovers tomorrow would do much to ease the pressure at Elland Road.

Wilcox and his team-mates are desperate to see caretaker boss Peter Reid appointed permanently and a victory would help to boost his cause.

"The sooner the club appoints a new manager the better and we all really want the present gaffer to get it," said Wilcox.

"He's come into the club with plenty of enthusiasm and the lads have really responded to him so we are all hoping he stays.

"At the moment everyone is in limbo and we are all looking over our shoulders.

"We need some stability so we can then start building for the future.

"We still need a couple of wins to guarantee we stay up but we all want some direction then we can consolidate our position.

"Three points tomorrow would go a long way towards keeping us up and hopefully that will boost the gaffer's chances of getting the job permanently as well.

"But we know it's not going to be easy because we are going to be up against a very good Blackburn side."

Rovers chief Souness will make a late check on Henning Berg, who has been troubled by a hamstring injury, before naming his side.

Rovers will choose from: Friedel, Neill, Gresko, Berg, Short, Flitcroft, Tugay, Dunn, Duff, Cole, Sukur, Yorke, Taylor, Gillespie, Grabbi, Johansson, Kelly.