Taylor Harwood-Bellis doesn’t want to take a backwards step and says he’d be open to a return to Rovers next season.

Lining up on the final day against Birmingham City will be a 14th consecutive start for the Manchester City loanee, and 17th of his half season stay at Ewood Park where he has been one of the few high spots in recent months.

Harwood-Bellis will speak to his parent club in the summer to assess his next move, but is keen to build on his Rovers spell with more game-time next season.

And should the stars align, he says that could well be back at Rovers where he feels he his game has improved immeasurably, having played more than he had imagined when first making the switch.

“I’ll go and meet with the manager, a few of the guys at City and see what the plan is, where they see me, where I see myself, and then we’ll go from there,” the 19-year-old said of his future.

“I have to take what the club want into consideration and they want what’s best for me at the end of the day.

“I’ve played this many games now I can’t go backwards and just train, that’s not what I want, I want to play games.

“My goal is to play for Man City but if I can’t play the amount of games I want then I’m open to going out and playing games.

“We’ll see what happens at the end of the season, whether it’s the right thing for me, for City and for Blackburn and if all those three things are put together then we’ll see what happens.”

The one disappointment for Harwood-Bellis during his time at the club has been the results, the club having been in top six contention when he joined on deadline day.

Those hopes evaporated during a winless February, but his run of starts in the heart of the Rovers defence have given him the experienced he craved during his first loan spell away from his boyhood club.

“It’s been really good for me, personally, to play as many games as I have. I came in to play as much as I could but I’ve exceeded my expectations of what I wanted to do,” Harwood-Bellis added.

“It’s been massive to play games, learn, and I’ve really enjoyed it. it’s been more than I could have wished for.

“In the way my game has improved from Under-23s to men’s football, I feel like I’m getting better each game, with training, and I feel more confident going into games and more experienced from playing men’s football.”

On the pitch, Harwood-Bellis has been a vocal figure, his attitude praised by manager Tony Mowbray who has been impressed with how the City youngster has settled in.

And the teenager says the welcome of his team-mates have allowed him to be his natural self around the group.

He explained: “I’ve got nothing but positives to take from the team and the group of lads.

“I’ve come in and been myself and they have taken to that. I’ve shown my personality and tried to be myself.”