Dan Butterworth has praised Rovers for their role in his development after penning a new long-term contract.

The 19-year-old, who is expected to make his Championship debut for the club before the end of the season, is now under contract until June 2022.

Butterworth arrived at Rovers from Manchester United and agreed his first professional contract in 2017. That was due to expire next summer, but with the talented attacker on the fringes of the first team, they moved quickly to extend his stay.  

He has twice been nominated for the Premier League 2 player of the month and has become a mainstay of Damien Johnson’s Under-23s side in the last two seasons.

“I came here overweight and didn’t have many attributes to my game," Butterworth said after arriving at Ewood Park in 2015 from Manchester United.

"I’ve worked on that and I think I’m a much better player for it.

“My power and speed has improved and I’m able to get on the ball and do what I do.

“Playing an attacking position you like to take players on, get shots off, score goals and create things."

Butterworth was on the bench for the Championship win at Millwall in January, and came off the bench in the Carabao Cup games with Lincoln City in August and Bournemouth the following month.

Manchester-born Butterworth feels he and Rovers are well suited, and is hoping to continue to catch the eye in a bid to make his league debut.

“If the gaffer likes you and the way you play, that’s a positive, it gives you a lot of confidence in yourself. Hopefully he does trust me and puts me in,” he told the club website.

“There’s always someone watching. It makes you want to impress just that little bit more. If you do well he goes home thinking about you.

“I like how the gaffer wants to play it out from the back and build up the pitch that way. That’s my game really so it could help in the long-run.

“I have that selfish side of wanting to put the ball in the back of the net. There’s that side in every striker.

“I started off alright, getting a few goals under my belt so confidence was high and then I think I went into a period of not great form.

“I’ve picked it back up and now I’m trying to get into the first-team again so if I keep working hard, the goals will come."