Ben Brereton will reach 150 Rovers appearances in today’s East Lancashire derby.

The usual caveat of ‘if selected’ doesn’t apply to the Chile international who has become Rovers’ go-to man.

His goalscoring appearance in the Carabao Cup tie at West Ham United was his 22nd of the season, missing only the first round win over Morecambe, and the 23-year-old is the only outfield player to have started every Championship fixture.

He has looked for some time as though he would benefit from a rest but has continued to push himself to the absolute maximum for the good of the team.

On Wednesday night, there was some trepidation among Rovers supporters when Brereton ran down the tunnel to get ready to come on.

Whereas in his early days as a Rovers player that may have been about his lack of expected impact, and at times it felt more in hope than expectation, this was about his importance and not wanting him to be unavailable for the upcoming biggest game of the season.

On the contrary, Jon Dahl Tomasson ideally would have wanted to send him on earlier than the hour mark, believing that had he done so, Rovers could have sealed the victory before the epic penalty shootout.

And so to Brereton’s milestone, his 150th Rovers appearance on the horizon.

The fact Rovers have played 213 games since his signing is indicative of the fact this hasn’t been a plain-sailing journey.

Indeed, it is hard to think of any player that has been through such a rollercoaster, and transformation, in their period at the football club.

Unveiled at half time of a league cup win over Lincoln City in August 2018, his signing was always going to be a huge moment in the club’s history.

That was due to the fee, but also the timing, only some 15 months after relegation to League One, and at a time when they were looking to re-establish themselves in the Championship.

While £5m was spent on Sam Gallagher the following season, Rovers splashing such a fee on a single player in the current climate seems particularly unlikely.

His early struggles were well documented, but the myth that it was simply a call-up to Chile and adding Diaz to his name as the sole reason for his turnaround would be disingenuous, and also overlook the strides he made post-lockdown, and then at the start of the 2020/21 season.

Then he looked fitter, stronger, hungrier and found himself a home on the left side of the Rovers attack.

So while his Chile commitments will have boosted his confidence levels, so too will starting the opening 15 games of the 2020/21 season.

It had been assumed that he could well be the heir apparent to Danny Graham, or that Rovers were anticipating the sale of Bradley Dack and seeing Brereton as a No.10, but it’s on the left where he’s become a must-pick.

His second 50 appearances, which took in the period to his 10th goal of the 2021/22 season against Blackpool, saw Brereton rack up 17 goals and six assists.

His next 49 have brought 22 goals and three assists, with his first having seen just two goals and four assists.

Brereton brings so much more than goals, his workrate unquestioned, yet his numbers stack up against the division’s very best No.9s, never mind wide strikers.

Tony Mowbray was steadfast in his support for the player signed from Nottingham Forest, and while the fee paid will have had a bearing on that, his premonition and show of faith has come good.

Brereton too, even in the days of his biggest struggles, has always been complimentary about how he was welcomed into the club and how much he was enjoying his time, even if appearances and goals were hard to come by.

And that same infectious energy and smile remains today, even if the situations he speaks in are contrastingly different.

Today, the Rovers players have the chance to make themselves heroes, to write their names into the history books.

Brereton will certainly have a place in the latter, irrespective of what happens at Turf Moor, and there could be no-one more deserving.

Ben Brereton's Rovers numbers:

2018/19: 6 (22) – 1 goal, 3 assists

2019/20: 9 (8) – 1 goal, 1 assist

2020/21: 33 (10) – 7 goals, 5 assists

2021/22: 36 (3) – 22 goals, 3 assists

2022/23: 20 (2) – 10 goals, 1 assist

Rovers career to date: 104 (45) – 41 goals, 13 assists

First 50: 2 goals, 4 assists

Second 50: 17 goals, 6 assists

Next 49: 22 goals, 3 assists

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