GARY Croft is about to cost Blackburn Rovers a small fortune - but no-one at Ewood Park will be complaining.

And neither will his former club Grimsby, who are set to receive a healthy cash windfall from the full back's emergence as a Premiership player.

When Rovers signed Croft from Grimsby in March 1996, they paid an intial £1 million fee with another £500,000 to be handed over, depending on first team appearances.

The first part of the extra cash is due when the player has made 25 senior appearances, and that looks as though it will happen early in the New Year.

For Croft has now featured in 20 first matches for Rovers - including substitute appearances - and could reach 25 when they go to Derby for the first Premiership match of 1998.

The rest of the £500,000 has to be handed over when the player reaches 60 senior games.

But, even if they eventually have to cough up the lot, Rovers will still consider a total fee of £1.5 million a reasonable price for a player who has made it at Premiership level.

When Ray Harford first signed Croft, now aged 23, he made it clear that he regarded him as one for the future.

He didn't make his first appearance until a Coca-Cola Cup tie against Brentford in September of last year and enjoyed a brief run in the side. But it is under Roy Hodgson that he has finally established himself as something of a regular. This afternoon's game against West Ham - providing, of course, he was in the team - was his 12th successive game and he has also scored his first Premiership goal.

There could even be another payment to make.

For Rovers also agreed to give Grimsby an extra £200,000 if he ever wins a full England cap.

Again, they would no doubt be happy to pay up.

Meanwhile, this afternoon marked the halfway stage in Rovers' Premiership campaign and, whatever the result against West Ham, they will finish it well placed.

Hodgson would then like a repeat performance in the second half, though he knows it won't be easy.

"It looks like we are going to be in the top three at the halfway stage and that's a very fine performance.

"If we can have a second half of the season as we have had a first half then there's no doubt we'll be very close to the top teams at the end of the season.

"But, basically speaking, there's no point in speculating what will happen in football. "You have to tackle one game at a time. If we win we'll try to keep our feet on the ground in order to win the next one. If we lose we'll try and get over it."

In the absence of any major new signings, Hodgson is also aware that he is treading a fine line should the squad be hit by a series of injury problems or a rash of suspensions.

With so many players having left, he still wants to strengthen.

"I think we have probably got the smallest squad in the Premiership but we have a very good squad of players," he said.

"We have got enough, but we aren't carrying extra weight like I know some teams are.

"But we can't carry too many injuries or suspensions."

There is a chance of Martin Dahlin returning to training with the squad next week but Rovers will have a better idea on Monday. "He's been working very hard and apart from a back injury has had a calf strain. But we don't think that's serious," added the manager.

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