New Under-21 head coach Gregory Vignal hopes to help continue Rovers’ proud tradition of bringing young talent through to the first team ranks.
Vignal took charge of the squad last week following the departure of Mike Sheron, who spent a decade in the Academy set-up.
The Frenchman relished the opportunity to return to English football and is excited to be working with the next generation at Ewood Park.
“Blackburn Rovers is a massive British club and I remember the time with Kenny Dalglish, winning the Premier League with big players,” he told RoversTV.
“It has always been an attractive club (for youngsters), but there are a lot of things to do to become first-team players.
“I try to help these young players with all my experience to make them stronger, fitter, quicker and sharper. The pathway is there, are you good enough to take your chance?
“You also have to take into consideration what is going on around the football club - we are not Liverpool or City so, in terms of the project, it is so important that the Academy plays a big part to bring as many players as we can towards the first team.”
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Vignal played for the likes of Liverpool, Portsmouth and Birmingham before hanging up his boots and moving into coaching.
The 44-year-old was part of Steven Gerrard’s backroom staff at Rangers when they won the Scottish title. He also held managerial roles at Rangers Women and Versailles.
Vignal learnt lots from Gerard Houllier during his time at Anfield and kept in touch with his former boss while doing his own coaching badges.
“Gerard Houllier was amazing with me. When I stopped playing, I was always close with Gerard regarding the badges. He gave me this love to become a coach,” he recalled.
“(He taught me) a lot about organisation, communication with the staff and the club, the way you prepare and the squad, making sure you know each player really well and understand who they are.
“Just making sure you are doing the right things, being open and trusting the people around you. It is key.”
He added: “It is a great opportunity for me, I am really looking forward. This is always where I wanted to be, England, and working for a club like Blackburn Rovers is absolutely fantastic.
“I fell in love with English football since day one when I came to Liverpool. It was amazing for me – the culture, the passion round the game, the fans.”
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