RUDY Gestede has stressed that he is still very happy at Blackburn Rovers after missing out on a move to Crystal Palace in January.

Gestede admits that he held talks with Palace boss Alan Pardew during the transfer window but Rovers opted to reject a £3.5m bid from the Premier League club for their top scorer.

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The 26-year-old does not hide from the fact that he was interested in returning to the top flight, after making only three substitute appearances for Cardiff City in the Premier League before joining Rovers midway through last season.

But he has reiterated his loyalty to Rovers and made it clear that he will give his all for the club, as he prepares for tomorrow’s home game against Blackpool.

“I was in touch with Palace, I had Pardew on the phone and they put a bid in for me,” Gestede said.

“I had a good talk with my family and friends and my agent as well, and at the end Blackburn refused the bid from Palace and I’m still a Blackburn player.

“But I’m okay with that, I’m happy in the team, I’m enjoying playing football for Blackburn. I’m not disappointed, that’s life.

“It was a good opportunity for me and my family, it was the Premier League so obviously you think about it, that it could be a good move for me with a good manager.

“But when I talked with the manager here he told me what he wants for the team and what he expects from me, because he builds something good and he wants to keep going.

“I’m part of the project and I’m happy like that. We have a good relationship.”

Gestede remains ambitious to reach the Premier League and hopes he can still help Rovers into the play-offs this term.

“Of course I’m playing for that, we don’t play to stay in the Championship,” he said.

“It’s going to be hard but everything can happen in football.

“It’s a dream for everybody, in any job I would say. When you start something you want to be at the top.

“That is your goal so you do everything to achieve it, you work hard at training, you start from the bottom and do what you can to be at the top.

“When you touch your dream a little bit you want to go back. It was a big frustration for me (at Cardiff) but now if you look back I’m in a better situation than last year.

“There was speculation in January so obviously we’ll see what happens this summer.

“But I’m fully focused on Blackburn and hopefully I can get to the Premier League with Blackburn.”

Gestede has scored in each of Rovers’ last two games – after looking to be on his way out of the club when he was left out of the squad for a fixture at Wigan at the time of Palace’s interest.

The striker said: “It was better for the team to be fully focused, I wasn’t maybe, so I took the responsibility and we decided with the manager to rest me for that game.

“Nothing was sure, I wasn’t sure to sign for Palace, so the Monday after that game I was ready to train and ready to play.

“I am fully focused, I think I have showed it in the last few games. I’m ready to play and fight until the end.

“I’ll keep working hard, even when there was speculation around me I was working at training.

“The club gave me the chance to sign last January so I cannot knock on the door and say I want to leave 100 per cent, I don’t want to play for Blackburn. I cannot do it.

“I think if you want to receive you have to give as well, they gave me a lot so I need to give it back.

“I am like this in life as well, I’m a loyal guy so now I am fully focused for Blackburn.”