Sam Hart admits he is unsure of his long-term future ahead of his return to Rovers in pre-season.

The left back hasn’t featured for Rovers since December 2017 and has since had three separate spells out loan.

Hart was with Rochdale for the final months of the 2017/18 season and the first half of this campaign, before ending it with Southend United as he helped the Shrimpers avoid relegation.

The 22-year-old became a popular figure at Roots Hall and says he would be open to a return should his future lie away from Ewood Park.

However, Rovers, who signed Hart from Liverpool in August 2017, extended his contract for a further 12 months earlier this year and Tony Mowbray expects him to be part of Rovers’ pre-season plans.

“I’ll report back to Blackburn for pre-season and will take it day by day after that,” Hart told the Essex Echo.

“They’re my club and what happens after that is out of my hands really.

“If they want me to go out on loan again and Southend would like me back then I’d 100 per cent be interested.

"But right now there’s no discussion to be had about it really.”

Mowbray says Hart, along with a number of the club’s other young players, won’t be without interest this summer.

However, he is keen to see how they fare when Rovers return to training at the end of next month.

Mowbray added: “It is down to the footballer really. Sam was brought in to the football club, six feet tall, fast, good left foot, young guy who needed to go out in to the world of men’s football and toughen up in my opinion.

“Then we could see whether he was going to be good enough to play for Blackburn Rovers.

“He’s been at Southend and didn’t play much at Rochdale. It’s down to Sam.

“He’ll come back and do pre-season and do pre-season with us, as will a lot of the young players.

“If we think they are ready then they will be part of our squad.

“If they are not ready then I’m sure the phone will be ringing for our young players and already has for some of our Under-23s.

“The message will be that they will start the season with us and we’ll see where they are.

“If our ambition is to try and get out of the division then it’s difficult to think that a group of entirely young footballers will be able to do that in an experienced, men’s league.

“That’s the balance that we will look for.”