Tony Mowbray insists Harry Chapman won’t fall down on talent but remains unconvinced by the winger’s workrate and desire.

Chapman made just his seventh appearance of the season against Reading, creating the winning goal for Sam Gallagher, showing what he can offer in his cameo off the bench.

However, he has featured just 11 times in the matchday squad, and Mowbray wants to see more desire from the 22-year-old to force his way into the starting team.

The manager says there is no agenda against the former Middlesbrough man, but says he judges his selection on a number of assets, including their work behind the scenes.

“Harry Chapman, his progress is down to him, he’s a young lad I’ve had lots of conversations with,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Football is life, I’m not trying to over-dramatise it, but you either want to buy in to it and be a part of it, and want to encapsulate it, love it, and not be able to get enough of it and want to stay out and practice, go and watch your clips and what you have to get better.

“As I’ve said before, you have to want to be a sponge and soak it all in, love it, be the best you can be, or you like being one of the lads, like the trappings, and you think you should be playing all the time and get frustrated and sulky if you’re not in the team.

“I haven’t got time for that. It’s down to Harry. He has to step up.”

Chapman was Rovers’ sole signing in January 2019, returning to the club where he had an injury-hit loan spell in the League One promotion campaign.

There he became a hit with the fans, and popular member of the squad, but since his permanent signing he’s made just 11 appearances, playing more times for the Under-23s than first-team.

A key pre-season lies ahead for Chapman, who Mowbray knows can produce moments of magic on the ball which was the reason behind his permanent move.

But the manager says he needs to see more, not least in training, before he will be considered for a more regular place in the side.

“His talent is undoubted, he is fast, a brilliant bit of skill for the goal, the way he rolled the ball over his foot, and it wasn’t the only time, he did it two or three times,” he added.

“But I have to see it all of the time. He needs to know what he can bring to the team and I don’t think I’m stupid, if he’s doing that, and we’re getting end product, he’ll be in the squad, he’ll be on the pitch, he’ll be playing.

“There’s no agenda. As I say to the players, I want to win every match, you have to be one of the best 11 to get in the starting team or one of the best 18 or 20, and Harry, if you’re not, and you’re poor in training and I don’t even notice you, and you haven’t been giving me what I want, then you don’t play, because someone else is working really hard and deserves the opportunity.

“Football is a competition within our club, you have to get in the team and the manager is watching everything you do, every time you touch the ball, every time you don’t run back, every time you don’t want to tackle.

“It’s down to Harry because his talent is going to let him down.”