COLIN Hendry will play through the pain barrier again for Blackburn Rovers tonight and celebrate a double milestone against Nottingham Forest in a crunch Premiership relegation battle, writes PETER WHITE.

It's exactly 10 years to the day since the Hendry legend was launched with his debut in the Full Members Cup semi-final against Ipswich, with tonight's re-arranged game also marking his 350th full senior appearance for the club.

And Hendry, still hungry for more honours, has revealed he would also like to see himself extending his Ewood stay by eventually joining the backroom staff.

He is set to have talks with the club soon about the possibilities for his long-term future when his playing days are over.

Would he like to go into management? "Yes, one day I could see myself as a manager, possibly even manager of Blackburn Rovers. That would be perfect," he said.

The Scottish international, who has had an injection to enable him to shake off the effects of a nagging groin problem, wants first of all, however, to win more honours.

"I've got my contract and a testimonial coming up," he said. "Now we have to get out of relegation trouble and then look at winning things again.

"Apart from the play-off final at Crystal Palace, this spell has been the first real downer in my time here.

"It has not been good enough. A lot of things have happened which haven't reflected well on the club.

"I'm 31 now and a much better player than I was when I was 21. I have to be very thankful for the last 10 years and there's still a lot of ambition left in Jack (Walker).

"That's good because I want to win something else. The biggest prize is the Premiership and if we can get out of danger and start afresh then in another year, or maybe two, we could be challenging again."

Hendry stresses he's as happy as he has ever been at the club and would like to turn that into an even longer stay.

He realises there are no guarantees in football but with the changes at the top wants to try to map out his long-term future again.

"I didn't realise it was 10 years today and it certainly doesn't seem as long as that," he said. "But there have been so many changes. Even the house I stayed in with Ray Barrett on Nuttall St when I first came has been demolished!

"It all started with a trophy at Wembley, then we had promotion and the title.

"I don't regret going to Manchester City for two years, because it was the right thing for everyone at the time. It benefited me greatly as a player and I went on to better things.

"When I came back, I had an ankle problem and, for a while, I wasn't able to do myself justice. But then I got that sorted out and, until this last spell, we haven't really looked back.

"I have some great memories and so many friends to thank, as well as people who have helped me, such as Ray Harford, the best coach I have ever worked with.

"Then there's Kenny, Jack and the chairman and the board, as well as Don Mackay who introduced me to the game in the first place."

Hendry, however, now wants to look forward, starting with tonight's game against Forest when he can be sure of a hero's welcome from the fans.

Providing there is no reaction to his groin problem, he will be eager to take his place against Forest and Rovers also have Billy McKinlay available again after suspension.

But Chris Sutton, who returned to training yesterday after illness, and George Donis (ankle) are not ready yet.

Rovers are set to choose from: Flowers, Kenna, Berg, Hendry, Le Saux, Sherwood, Marker, Flitcroft, Gallacher, Pedersen, Wilcox, McKinlay, Warhurst, Bohinen, Croft, Duff, Given.

Forest add new signing Pierre Van Hooydonk to their squad: Crossley, Lyttle, Pearce, Cooper, Chettle, Phillips, Gemmill, Saunders, Jerkan, Haaland, Clough, Van Hooydonk, Roy, Woan, McGregor, Armstrong, Guinan, Fettis.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.