There was no getting away from football, or even Rovers, for Tony Mowbray during his family holiday.

The boss rolled back the years on the beach in Greece when playing football with his two sons. This soon evolved in to small-sided games involving other families, some of which were Rovers fans.

A centre back in his playing days, Mowbray became the supply line to a youngster sporting a Rovers shirt with ‘Dack 23’ on the back as he took time away from his day job.

Mowbray had week-long meetings with owners Venky’s in India last month, and then took the chance to spend time with his family ahead of the players returning to pre-season on Monday, June 24.

“I have had nine days away with my family,” Mowbray said.

“I played a lot of football on holiday, scored a few goals, got dragged in to some small-sided games with other kids and other families.

“I met a few Rovers fans on holiday and made sure that a lad in a Rovers away kit with ‘Dack 23’ on the back was on my side and I kept trying to set him up to score a goal.

“I had a nice break, yet the phone does ring a lot.”

It is now back to work for Mowbray with two weeks to go until the players jet off to Austria for their week-long training camp.

The boss will hope to have some new signings in tow, with Rovers beginning their pre-season friendlies on July 6 before the season opener on August 3 and the transfer window closing on August 8.

Being a manager remains a 24/7 job, but Mowbray said fielding calls from agents about the availability of players is something he entrusts on the club’s head of recruitment, Stuart Harvey.

List of targets have been drawn up, as has the specification and profile of players needed, in order for Rovers to progress.

“I do push a lot of the recruitment stuff, a lot of the agents, across to Stuart Harvey our head of recruitment and let him deal with it,” added Mowbray, who took time to visit community event Eid in the Park on Sunday upon his return to East Lancashire.

“Ultimately the recruitment department is about filtering players, there are hundreds and hundreds of players. I have stipulated what type of footballers would fit in to our team and what we need to strengthen.

“Stuart filters them down to me and then I have had a few conversations since I got back from holiday, met one or two people, one or two more meetings this week.

“The players are then back in for testing on the 24th and then two days later off we go to Austria and then the season will be upon us before we know it.

“Hopefully there will be a few new faces as earlier as we can in the building, as I’ve stipulated though it’s never easy unless you’ve got top dollar to pay top prices to get players in very early.”

Since returning from his holiday it was soon back to work for Mowbray who has held talks with potential new signings, and their representatives, and will also meet out of contract utility man Jack Rodwell to discuss his long-term future.

“I’ve spoken to players, I’ve spoken to a lot of agents, we know where we would like to go, who would like to sign, but those players have other options as well, and they are probably sourcing out those options,” he added.

“But I’m hopeful we’ll be able to sign some players who can make us a more exciting and better football team.”