In Danny Graham has found somewhere he can call home and making up for lost time.

In the five-and-a-half years between his arrival at Carlisle in June 2007, and his departure from Swansea in January 2013, the striker scored 95 goals.

He was a sought after commodity, so much so that Sunderland prised him away from the Liberty Stadium for a £5m fee. However, the next three years brought just nine goals for four different clubs and an uncertainty about what lay ahead.

Then, in January 2016 came the move to Ewood Park and the striker hasn’t looked back.

He now feels the love from his manager, team-mates and supporters, but most importantly has got back to doing what he does best, scoring goals.

Not that his ride at Rovers has been easy. His 13 goals in 2016/17 couldn’t save Rovers from relegation from the Championship, and the first four months of the League One campaign brought just seven starts in 22 games.

But that makes the turnaround all the sweeter. Finishing last season with 17 goals, he ended up just one short this time around, but his importance to the team was demonstrated by his player, and players’ player, of the year prizes.

He featured in 43 of Rovers’ 46 matches, playing 500 more minutes than last season, and put to bed any reservations about playing three games in a week.

Graham will be 34 a week in to the new season, but does he feel like he is making up for those lost years?

“I think so. After the Sunderland situation it was hard,” Graham told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“I remember coming here and thinking I had to give it a right good go.

“I found myself out on loan a couple of times and never really had a place called home. Ever since I have walked through the door this has felt like home.

“That’s helped me and I think when I first came on loan, getting a goal early on helped me.”

A player no stranger to scoring goals, something that had evaded him for 10 years was a at-trick. That long wait eventually ended in December against Sheffield Wednesday.

While Graham may be vastly experienced, that love of scoring goals doesn’t go away, with 169 to his name, and you wouldn’t bet against him passing 200 before hanging up the boots.

In the wake of that hat-trick, Mowbray said: “I’ve been in all football all my life and Danny Graham is as good a one-touch finisher as I’ve seen. I’d love to have had him as a 25-year-old. Wow.” You can’t say fairer than that.

But his failed move to Sunderland is never far from the conversation, at least outside the walls of the Rovers bubble.

“I went to Sunderland going in to my prime and it didn’t work out for whatever reason,” he added.

“I look at other players who have moved for big money and it hasn’t happened for them.

“It’s not just me. It’s about how you react and I feel that I’m stronger because of that.”

Having shown his selflessness with his performances throughout the season, it was no surprise to hear Graham talk in a similar manner about his award-winning campaign.

He said: “I thought I might have been in with a chance of it. But when it was read out it was a great feeling.

“All the hard work has paid off, but you know me, I’m more about the team than individual honours.

“Although it was nice to be recognised, on the whole I think we’ve had a good season and we have probably have learned a lot along the way.”

Rovers are looking to become less reliant on the target-man approach, having used Graham’s physicality to great effect in the last 18 months, with his weight of goals, and relationship with Bradley Dack, have been key to Rovers’ success.

But having performed well in a Swansea side known for their patient approach, the striker believes he can still have a big role in to play in whatever style Tony Mowbray looks to adopt.

“I’ve set the standard. Winning those awards, I’ve set a standard that I need to maintain,” said Graham.

“If I can reach that, then I’ll hopefully play, and if not, then someone will come in and take my place.

“I look forward to that challenge and to next season.”