Stewart Downing feels Rovers are a club on the up after becoming the first summer singing.

The former England international joins on a one-year deal having been a free agent after leaving Middlesbrough.

Steve Waggott confirmed to the Lancashire Telegraph earlier this month that Downing was a target for Tony Mowbray who wanted to add more experience to his squad.

And after conversations with Mowbray, a legend at Downing’s boyhood club Middlesbrough, the winger said there was nowhere else he wanted to go.

“It feels very good,” Downing said after agreeing a deal at Ewood Park through to June 2020.

“After discussing it with the manager, this was the only place I wanted to come.

“I just think it’s a club on the up. They got the promotion from League One and I think Tony’s done a really good job since he’s been here.

“Last season, they were probably a little bit unlucky.

“They could have finished a bit higher, with certain results.”

Downing’s arrival comes a month after Craig Conway confirmed his departure from Ewood Park after five-and-a-half years.

The winger turns 35 next month, but did feature 40 times for Boro last season as they finished eighth in the Championship and he made his 400th appearance for the club in the final weeks of the campaign.

He had an offer to stay in the north east from Sunderland, but was reluctant to drop in to League One, having played all his career in the top two tiers, while Rangers  and a move to the US were also mooted.

In all he has made 663 career appearances having also played for Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham.  

Downing is the latest in a long line of players with north east connections in the Rovers squad, alongside Harry Chapman, Richie Smallwood and Danny Graham.

Mowbray is keen to see Rovers build on last season’s 15th-placed finish which starts with a home game against Charlton on August 3.

And Downing sees potential in the group that Mowbray is building at Rovers.

“He’s building a good team and I was excited about his plans for the future,” Downing said of Mowbray, who will welcome his players back to pre-season training on Monday.

“He’s got some really good ideas, a good way of playing and I’m really excited. I’m glad it’s done quite early in pre-season as well.

“Playing against Blackburn Rovers over the years, it’s always been a really good football club, with good support.

“The manager obviously plays a big part in that, with the way he plays.

“I know some lads from Middlesbrough who know him and I like the way his teams play.

“Even last season, playing for Middlesbrough, we had two difficult games against Rovers and we were lucky to get a point out of one of them.

“He plays good football, it’s football I like to play and I’m really excited to get going.”