Jayson Leutwiler knows his international ambitions are intrinsically linked to his future at club level – and admits life as a No.2 goalkeeper isn’t as easy as some would believe.

Leutwiler has been second choice throughout his three years at Rovers, first to David Raya and then to loanee Christian Walton who has been an ever present in the Championship this year.

The 31-year-old is also behind Red Star Belgrade’s Milan Borjan at international level, winning the last of his three national team caps in September 2017.

Apart from a four game run at the end of last season, Leutwiler has largely had to make do with cup appearances since arriving at Ewood Park in the summer of 2017.

He saw his contracted extended by 12 months last summer, but the former Shrewsbury Town man sees his future come in to question again this year.

Rovers will look to recruit in their goalkeeping department, that’s no secret, and his chances of regular football at Ewood Park appear slim.

And when asked about his international ambitions, Leutwiler said: “For me personally I want to play as  No.1 for the national team, but I have to be realistic and accept that I’m not playing at my club and if you’re not playing for your club then it’s very difficult to be the No.1 for your country.

“I think the next step I need is to be playing for my club, and then I have the chance to say that I want to play for my national team.

“I have to get game-time again and then I can say that I want to play for my country. Everyone wants that, and that’s the same for me.”

Leutwiler has been an unused substitute in all of Rovers’ 37 Championship matches this season, playing twice in the Carabao Cup and once in the FA Cup defeat at Birmingham City.

But always needing to be ready should injury or suspension arise, Leutwiler added: “I have been a No.2 goalkeeper at Blackburn for three years and it’s not an easy job.

“People think it’s easy just being on the bench, but you’re sat there waiting for if something might happen, this is non-stop and it’s a hard job.”

Leutwiler didn’t rule out a possible move to the MLS, or Canadian Premier League, in the future, should the right opportunity arise.

And the Swiss-born stopper, who came through the ranks at Basel, admits his move in to international football wasn’t a straightforward one.

“My mum’s side is Canadian, that’s how I got the Canadian passport. How I got in the national team was a blogger (from ‘Talking Reds’) wrote something on the internet saying there was a player in England who might be eligible for Canada and has a passport for Canada,” he told ‘Soccer Hangout’.

“Things happened and then the national team contacted my club and asked if it was true that I was Canadian and we had a few phone calls and then I found out I was eligible.

“Why I chose Canada was that I felt it was the right time for me to go and play for my second country, I think it was the right step in my career and the chance to go and represent Canada was huge.

“It was a chance I wanted and a great start.”

The Rovers players saw their three week off season break end on Monday, with the squad now working to individual training programmes, with a morning video call arranged to keep the players connected.

The hope is before long, should restrictions allow, that the players will be able to return to the senior training centre at Brockhall soon.

“We’re on a Zoom call every morning, doing exercises for 30 minutes, connecting with everyone and making sure everyone is ready to resume training,” Leutwiler explained.

“Hopefully that will be in around 10 days’ time, if it stays like this, hopefully we’ll be able to go back.

“It won’t be like normal, there will be measures in place, not the whole team but four or five players a day and that will be like that for the first few weeks.

“Then hopefully that will build up and then the whole team will be able to come back.”

Rovers could have climbed in to the top six, had they won at Derby County before the season was suspended indefinitely.

But three points outside the play-off spots with nine games remaining, Leutwiler says there will be a focus and determination to try and close that gap should the season resume.

He added: “We’re going to try and get more in to it when we’re back at the training ground. At the moment it’s making sure everyone is fit and stays fit, and in tune with what’s happening.

“When we’re back at the training ground we’ll eb able to focus more on how we’re going to play, at the moment we’re not talking too much.

“But we’re conscious that we’re in a good position with nine games left and if we do well we could get in to the play-offs and have a good season.

“We know we have something to play forward and when we’re back to the training ground we’ll focus more on that.”