Rovers’ head of athletic performance Chris Rush is to step down from his position after a decade with the club.

Rush says his decision to leave the club is for family reasons, and will see him end his 15-year career working in professional football.

He was promoted from his post as lead athletic performance coach in 2017, following the club’s relegation from League One and the departure of Chris Neville.

But Rush says it is a time for a career change and will leave the club in March.

He wrote on LinkedIn: “After 15 years in professional football, I have decided to resign from my role as Head of Athletic Performance with Blackburn Rovers and end full-time work in football.

“My decision is purely based on wanting to prioritise family life over my professional life. The life of a support staff member in football requires 60+ (hour) weeks, 11 months a year, weekends away from the family, and missed life events. These are the sacrifices necessary when pursuing high performance.

“I have lived this life happily for 15 years and have been rewarded with some fantastic experiences and memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. However, I feel that now the sacrifice of the family is far too great.”

Rush says his plans moving forward are ‘anxiously undetermined’, but he believes a bright future lies ahead for the club under Tony Mowbray.

He added: “Although I will leave the club at the start of March I am very positive about the direction the club is taking. Under Tony Mowbray, the club has been transformed since relegation to League One in 2017. The performance environment he has built can only contribute to any future success.

“Thank you so much to those who have given me an opportunity, invaluable support, and learning experiences along the way.”

Liam Mason, the club’s senior athletic performance coach, has led the pre-match warm-ups of late.