Soldiers and artists was a phrase coined by Tony Mowbray just a month in to taking the Rovers job in February 2017.

The boss may well be an advocate of free-flowing football, but it has to be built on a platform of hard work.

While Chelsea loanee Kasey Palmer would come under the label of an artist, he knows that he must show his determination to put in the hard yards as well.

And the 21-year-old, who has three goals to his name already, says seeing the likes of Elliott Bennett Bradley Dack, working hard for the team from the attacking positions makes him not want to be an odd one out.

“Dacky works as hard as anyone and Benno runs himself in to the ground. Everyone is on the same sheet,” Palmer explained.

“When people to the left and right of you are putting in the hard graft you don’t want to be the one letting people down.

“Everyone knows what they have to do and the demands are that you put a shift in.”

So far, it has been more about the soldiers than the artistry for Rovers in the early weeks of the season.

Only Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen has made more successful tackles (24) than Rovers duo Corry Evans and Bennett (20). The pair have also blocked the same number of passes (10), the fourth most in the division.

Evans’ impressive stats continue, with his 15 interceptions only bettered by Henrik Dalsgaard (20) of Brentford and Birmingham defender Kristian Pedersen (19).

Meanwhile, only Rotherham (64) have blocked more passes (58).

But with the ball they will look to improve, having played more long balls (87) than any team in the league while only Ipswich (122) have had more unsuccessful touches of the ball than Rovers (115).

Palmer will look to change those attacking stats for the better, completing nine of his 13 attempted dribbles this season.

But as he admitted: “We don’t rely on one player.

“We all work hard, put in a shift and have quality as well.

“That’s what the manager demands from us and it’s working for us. The spirit we have in the group is there for all to see.”

Palmer is in to his third loan spell away from parent club Chelsea.

He won promotion from the Championship in 2016/17 with Huddersfield before spending the first half of last season with the Terriers.

A mid-season switch to Derby County almost brought him a second promotion, only for the Rams to miss out in the play-offs.

Much is made of Chelsea’s policy of loaning out hoards of their young prospects, with Palmer firmly in that pack of late.

But he is keen to immerse himself in each of those respective clubs and has been a favourite among the fans of each.

And not paying too much attention to what is happening at Stamford Bridge, he added: “It’s about adapting to new surroundings and that’s what I’ve tried to do in every loan I’ve had.

“All I can do is focused on my own career path.

“When I was at Huddersfield I focussed on Huddersfield, at Derby I just got my head down and worked hard and it is the same here.

“Now I’m a Blackburn player I’m not thinking about what’s happening at Chelsea.

“I will focus on what is in front of me up until the end of the season and once that’s done it will switch back to Chelsea. I will give my all to the club here.”