Sam Gallagher revealed he always had his heart set on a Rovers return after sealing a permanent move back to Ewood Park.

Gallagher has signed from Southampton on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £5m.

Rovers have tried to sign Gallagher in each of the two windows since returning to the Championship, both permanently and on loan.

The 23-year-old stayed with the Saints in January but has been allowed to move on from St Mary’s after seven years at the Premier League club.

Rovers won the chase for his signature, with a host of other Championship sides having been linked with him.

Gallagher scored 12 times in the 2016/17, when Rovers were relegated from the Championship, and spent the following season with Birmingham City.

After sealing his return to the club, Gallagher told the club website: “It’s amazing to be back and it’s something that I’ve wanted to happen ever since I left the club after my loan spell.

"For the move to finally happen feels great.

“The whole feeling of the club, even walking around the training ground this morning, it’s almost as if I never left really.

“Even the drive into the training ground brought back so many good memories for me, but hopefully there will be better ones to come.

“Last time I was here, Tony came in during the second half of the season and everyone at the football club knew we had a good thing when that happened.

“How the season finished didn’t really reflect the team we had or the team that we could have been.

“But it’s nice to come back and feel that you can play a part in changing fortunes for the better.

“A big thing for any player is to feel like you’re in a manager’s plans and to feel wanted. That was a big factor in me coming back here."