RICHIE Smallwood has been one of the few players not to have been a victim of Tony Mowbray’s rotation policy.

The Rovers boss has made a combined 14 changes in Rovers’ last three matches, though disruption in the back four because of injury has played its part in that.

Smallwood has started 62 of Rovers’ 63 league matches since signing from Rotherham United last summer, having been dropped to the bench for the win at Bolton on October 6, coming on after an hour.

The 27-year-old knows he will need to be impressing on the pitch and in training to keep his place, and won’t give up his shirt without a fight ahead of Saturday’s trip to Preston.

He added: “It’s nice to be playing, it’s what every player wants to do.

“You train all week and then when it comes to Saturday you want to be picked.

“It’s healthy competition for places so it’s not easy but if you do the job on the field, on the matchday if you’re chosen and you deserve your shirt for the next game then surely, you’ll be picked.

“If you don’t do the job that the manager’s asking, you’ll be out the team and then it’s up to yourself to work hard and get back in.”

Rovers strengthened in the middle of the park in the summer with the arrivals of Southampton loanee Harrison Reed and Jacob Davenport from Manchester City.

Although the latter is yet to feature after enduring an injury-hit start to life at Ewood Park, Reed has broken up the reliable partnership of Smallwood and Corry Evans already this season.

But Smallwood understands that comes with the territory of being promoted in to a higher league.

“Obviously, we’ve moved up leagues and you’d imagine everyone tries to improve their squad a little bit more and I think we’ve done that in most positions,” Smallwood added.

“Training’s good, it’s intense, it’s healthy competition and we’ve got good camaraderie off the pitch. That shows on the pitch so we’re all pulling in the right direction.”

Despite having regained his place in the team, starting each of Rovers’ last five matches, that didn’t stop Smallwood from being disappointed at seeing his long sequence of starts come to an end.

Mowbray also revealed he had considered resting Smallwood for the trip to West Brom, where the midfielder ended the game in goal, after covering 13km in the defeat at Swansea four days earlier.

But Smallwood isn’t ready for a rest any time soon. Reflecting on being left out against Bolton last month, the midfielder said: “Obviously disappointed, I’ve never liked being on the bench and I never will do but it’s the managers decision, whatever he goes with you’ve got to respect and stand by and if you’re called upon like a couple of us were then he knows he can call us, and we’ll do a job

“The gaffer’s rotated a little bit and we’ve got positive results so it’s just down to the people that played to try and keep the shirt.”