Aston Villa prospect Ben Chrisene on Blackburn Rovers loan

12 months ago, things were going well for the youngster who was gaining valuable experience during a loan spell with Kilmarnock.

Then, injury struck. Chrisene tore his medial ligament in a 2-0 defeat against Celtic and his season was cruelly cut short.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Aston Villa prospect but he has worked hard to come back stronger from the setback.

“When you get an injury, you hear a lot about coming back better or worse,” he told RoversTV.

“I am desperate to come back better than I was. I have had a tough year but now I have built my body up, I am ready.”

The 19-year-old is excited about the challenge ahead with Rovers and hopes his experiences so far will stand him in good stead.

“I have been in the dressing room and been on the bench in the Premier League, which is an unbelievable experience,” he continued. “I was itching to play but I wasn’t quite ready.

“When I went on loan to Kilmarnock, it was a good experience for me. It was my first loan and I learnt a lot.

“I played 15 or 16 games there and built a foundation which was good for me. The injury was unfortunate, it cancelled my season.”

Chrisene training with the senior squad at Aston Villa (Image: PA)

Jon Dahl Tomasson has not been afraid to put his trust in youth since taking charge, and Chrisene is looking forward to working with the Rovers boss.

“I am really pleased, it is a really good opportunity for me and I am more excited than anything else,” he smiled.

“It happened really quickly. In terms of interest, as soon as you hear a club like Blackburn – with all their history – and you hear good things about the club, I think you are always desperate to know more about it.

“I had a call with (Tomasson) and didn’t stop nodding and grinning. He is a nice guy, which is always good.

“I haven’t been in the building long but I already feel like I want to be here, which is just what you want.”

Andrew Moran and James Hill thrived during the first half of the season, and the full-back hopes he can follow suit.

The Championship is one of the most competitive and demanding leagues in the world, but Chrisene is keen to test himself.

“That is the most important thing on a personal note, in terms of getting minutes and playing men’s football,” he explained.

“I have only had a little snippet of it so far so I just want to get as much as I can.

“When you are young, you always feel like you are on the brink of (first-team football). But right now, I am still young and hopefully I can get to that point where I can cement a place in the team.”

The youngster is confident Rovers’ style of football will be a good fit for his own game and eager to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

“I am an athletic player in terms of getting up and down the pitch playing in the full-back position, but I would say I can play anywhere on the pitch give or take,” he grinned.

“On the ball, I am technical and can move the ball, dribble and pass. I fancy myself up the top end of the pitch as well, although I haven’t scored a goal for a while so some people might say otherwise.”

While he is keen to play as many games as possible, Chrisene knows that a big part of his learning curve will be off the field.

“It is not only the football you learn, it is off the pitch as well,” he added. “I was living miles away from my family and friends (at Kilmarnock).

“I learnt lots in the Scottish Premiership, on and off the ball and the manager there was really good with young players. It is similar here in terms of having a young team and if you are ready, you are ready.

“The first loan is always the scariest because you don’t know what to expect in a sense. Coming here now after having that experience, I am much readier than I was then.”