NEW Blackburn Rovers chief executive Steve Waggott said the chance to join the club was one he 'could not refuse.'

Waggott was appointed as CEO at Ewood Park yesterday having joined the club from Southend United where he had been acting as a consultant.

He will oversee day-to-day operations at Rovers and revealed he had been in talks with Rovers since October.

Speaking to Southend United's official website he said: “The discussions with Blackburn began just before I joined Southend and progressed through October and November before the decision was made to appoint me. A great opportunity that I felt I could not pass up at this time in my career.

"The timing of this changing of club is unfortunate as my intention had been to come in to Southend initially as a consultant with a planned review with the chairman at the end of the season.

"However, the opportunity to join Blackburn Rovers as CEO is a position that I could not refuse."

Waggott held a similar position at Gillingham last season while he spent four years at Coventry City as CEO where he worked with Rovers boss Tony Mowbray.

He also spent seven years at Charlton Athletic where he was chief executive role for the football club and community trust.

On his move Waggott said: “I am both delighted and honoured to be appointed CEO at a club steeped in football history.

“As CEO, I will pool all my previous football knowledge, skills and experience to work with the owners, the management team and staff, both on and off the pitch, plus the supporters and the many stakeholders attached to the club to continue to build a strong and stable platform for future growth and success.”

Rovers have been without a chief executive since the departure of Paul Hunt in 2012, while Paul Agnew left his post as the club’s general manager in 2013.

Shebby Singh served as a global advisor between 2012 and 2013 with Suhail Pasha now responsible for communication lines between Ewood Park and India.

The most recent departure was that of Paul Senior who resigned from his Director of Football and Operations post in May in the wake of relegation from the Championship.