Indian youth player Aniket Jadhav will spend three months training at Rovers' Academy.

Jadhav played in all three matches for India at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, held in his home country, in October 2017.

The teenager, who currently plays for Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League, has thanked Rovers owner Balaji Rao for the opportunity to train at the club's Academy base at Brockhall.

He said: “I would like to thank Blackburn Rovers FC for believing in me and my ability, and inviting me to train at their world class Academy.

"I am very thankful to Mr. Balaji Rao Sir for this opportunity. I would also like to thank my agent, Jehan Kothary of KSMN sports, and my current club, Jamshedpur FC, who have been very supportive of this opportunity and have assured their complete support.”

Speaking to PTI in his native India, the Pune-born attacker said: "For someone coming from a small place in Kolhapur, it's a dream come true for me,.

"I'm looking forward to this stint. The World Cup was a big experience and this is equally big and it keeps me on track with the mission when I left home as a nine-year-old kid."

Balaji Rao believes the opportunity will benefit the player, and Indian football as a whole.

He added: “We, as supporters of sport, especially football, want to help young Indian talent. 

"Our Academy at Blackburn Rovers is one of the finest Category One Academies in the UK.

"This training stint will definitely help Aniket to develop technically as a player, which will in turn contribute to the improvement of his performances on the pitch. 

"We want to support young talented footballers in the best way possible to help improve the Indian national team’s performances and FIFA ranking on the world stage.”

Mukul Choudari, of Jamshedpur FC, said: “We are very happy for Aniket. In fact, very rarely do Indian football players get such an opportunity and if they get it at this age, it is just fantastic, as this will only help him grow and enhance his skills further. 

“It is going to be a win-win for everybody. As Jamshedpur FC, we congratulate Aniket for his talent and the opportunity that he's got, which we are sure he will make the best of and come back as a much better player and make us proud.”