Carter on Blackburn return, play-off push and past regret

The defender was recalled for his first Championship minutes since suffering a knee injury on October 23 against West Brom. Carter was named sponsor's Player of the Match after an impressive display.

With a new head coach in the door, every player is wanting to impress. Carter missed John Eustace's first stretch of games through injury and was therefore desperate to be involved in his first XI.

"It's been over four months now, so it felt unbelievable to be back out there with the boys," Carter said.

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"To get a full night in my legs is a good one, and to obviously see the equaliser at the end, it's a good way to come back.

"I'll be sore tomorrow I think. But no, it feels good just to be back helping the boys. I think maybe in the last 15 minutes or so I started to feel it a bit more but that's when most of the action happened in the game so that helped me get through.

"I missed when John Eustace came in last year, so it took me a while to play the first game that time. So to come in and play the full game and I think I did alright.

"I said when Jon Dahl Tomasson first came in that it's a clean slate for everyone. Obviously, the manager will have seen us from afar but to come in and get to know us is a fresh start and hopefully, we can all impress and keep the challenge for places going."

The feeling leaving Ewood Park was the late leveller from Andi Weimann could be pivotal in the final reckoning. It kept the gap to Norwich at four points and avoided defeat in trying circumstances.

Carter remembers how pivotal fine margins can be, having missed out of the top six two years ago on goal difference.

Yeah, hopefully, that's the plan," he reflected on the top-six ambitions.

"We missed out a couple of seasons ago on goal difference, so this year we want to make that difference and get in those play-offs and, like you said, get promoted.

"Obviously quite a few of us were here a couple of years ago and it was tough to take. Obviously the last season, the less we talk about that, the better. But no, everyone's excited, everyone's hungry to finish these 11 games and try to reach the play-offs and hopefully get the club back to where it belongs.

"I think obviously we've done well this season. I think to make big changes could go either way. So I think that's a good thing that he's trying to keep it quite similar but add little details and stuff."

The manner of the 97th-minute equaliser made the point feel like a victory. With winnable games against three bottom-six teams before the international break, it was a welcome boost.

"With the circumstances, down to ten men conceding so late, and Andi coming on and scoring that equaliser, it obviously makes us feel better about drawing," the defender said on the match itself.

"We want to win every game, so hopefully we can do that next week but it's a nice way to equalise. We're down to ten men and it shows the character we've got in the squad. People coming off the bench and getting that equaliser, hopefully, we can take some momentum into next week.

"We tried to let their centre-backs have the ball for quite a lot of the game. We know they've got good forward players, obviously Sargent, Sainz, top-quality players.

"I think we defended well as a team for most of the game, and obviously to concede so late, it's a bit of a kick in the teeth, but we showed the character that we've got to go and get that equaliser."