As one former loan star returned to the scene of where he dazzled infront of empty stands last season, a current Rovers loan star is shining bright in a team who have shown van Hecke of a desire to keep the ball out of the net.

Whereas Harvey Elliott starred with his balance and poise, Jan Paul van Hecke is doing so with sheer guts and a passion and no shortage of defensive determination.

Rovers have now matched their tally of clean sheets from last season (11), that defensive stability enabling them to reach 52 points some 16 games quicker than last season. They haven’t conceded in eight of their previous 10 Championship fixtures, a stability that has ensured one goal can be enough to win a game.

This isn’t by fluke. There is a steely determination within this young group, players congratulating each other after every defensive action. There was a big Lewis Travis hug for Tayo Edun in stoppage time when winning a throw in.

Whatever the outcome of the next 18 games, the 7-0 defeat to Fulham will undoubtedly go down as a seminal moment.

Rovers have passed every question that has been asked of them since, not least how they would respond to seeing their 10-game unbeaten run end with a 2-0 defeat at Hull City against one of the division’s most in-form sides in Middlesbrough.

Added to that were the absences of Joe Rothwell, Tyrhys Dolan, Dilan Markanday and Ben Brereton and the chasing pack closing in after a weekend of victories for the majority of those in pursuit of Mowbray’s men.

Yet here is a team that have shown what they are made of, a gutsy determination to win by whatever means possible.

They had to overcome a barrage of Boro balls into the box, just as they did at Cardiff two weeks previous, battling through 12 additional minutes to hold out for a 15th win of the season, the figure they managed in the entirety of last season.

At the heart of the that has been Dutch loanee van Hecke, his first taste of English football and life outside of the Eredivisie.

There feels something ‘cult hero’ like about the 21-year-old, a passion that exudes with every performance and goal celebration.

‘He likes to fight like me’ was Deyovaisio Zeefuik’s assessment of his new team-mate, his ‘running around like a mad man’ celebration after his goal at Bournemouth testament to that.

But you have to be so much more than that if you’re keeping Daniel Ayala out of the side.

All this comes on the back of the Fulham red card, an out of control moment that brought the ultimate punishment. Not simply a red card, but watching on as his side shipped five second half goals to lose by a club record score.

Lesser characters would have wilted but Mowbray never had such worries about van Hecke who hasn’t looked back since getting his opportunity in the side for the Stoke City win.

He has played every minute of Rovers’ last nine league matches since that red card, all this knowing that any one slip could see him lose his place with Ayala waiting in the wings.

His disciplinary record will be one to watch, up to seven yellow cards and one red in 15 appearances, but he certainly won’t be one to back down from a battle.

Van Hecke looks well suited to playing in the heart of the back three, with captain Darragh Lenihan playing the best football of his career to the right of him and Scott Wharton hardly breaking sweat to the left.

While there have been enforced changes in the wing-back positions due to Ryan Nyambe’s recent suspension and Harry Pickering’s continued injury absence, while ever the back three stays as it is, Rovers’ defensive unit looks in capable hands.

It hasn’t been the silkiest of football of late, but for sheer guts and determination, commitment and endeavour, there can be no complaints.

While not wanting to get carried away, there has to be a realisation of just how far Rovers have come and the impressive strides they have made.

Pride is an undoubted emotion while watching this young side battling for the cause and it is being felt in the stands.

The home crowd are sensing that, but also when their team need them.

Trailing 1-0 inside 90 seconds three days after a 7-0 humbling, the crowd lifted Rovers to inspire a fine comeback against Sheffield Wednesday.

They helped see Rovers over the line in a hardly-fought contest with Preston North End, while on the road at Stoke City and Bournemouth they were in fine voice to the very end.

As the hour mark approached, Boro began to come into the ascendancy for the first time in the match.

Mowbray was turning to his bench but seeing little he could do to change. The fans ramped up the noise, coming alive from the moment Sam Gallagher fired a shot across Joe Lumley into the corner to put them ahead.

A thundering Zeefuik run and Gallagher challenge late on were roared in a similar fashion to the goal, while the post-match celebrations were something to savour.

Supporters can sense something special is building and are willing to stay with them all the way.

And many may have fallen in love with yet another loan player, a central figure to a remarkable defensive effort.