Joe Nuttall scored twice for the Under-23s in a friendly with Southport on Sunday to take his tally to five goals in five pre-season matches.

The first of those came at Barrow earlier this month when he netted the winner as Tony Mowbray’s side started the campaign with a victory.

However, that remains the only game in which the 22-year-old has featured, with appearances coming for the Under-23s and in behind closed doors games.

That has alerted a number of clubs, with a host in League One having identified the striker as a possible option.

Rovers rejected a substantial six-figure bid for Nuttall in January.

Nuttall finished last season with three goals in 18 appearances, but only two of those came as a starter in the Championship.

He had looked likely to leave on loan in January, but Rovers’ failure to land a new striker, and goals in wins over Ipswich and Millwall, saw him stay with the club.

However, the arrival of Sam Gallagher has pushed Nuttall further down the pecking order and Rovers could now be willing to sanction a move.

Blackpool are one of the clubs interested, with boss Simon Grayson having seen plenty of Nuttall given his attendance at Under-23s matches in recent years, with his son Joe a fixture in the side. The Seasiders also have money to spend following the sale of Marc Bola to Championship side Middlesbrough.

Ipswich Town have also been credited with interest, with Accrington Stanley long-term admirers.

Nuttall arrived at Rovers as a trialist in the summer of 2017 and quickly established himself in Damien Johnson’s side and finished that season as the top scorer in Premier League 2 football. He also scored on his senior debut, league debut and first FA Cup outing.

He still has two years left to run on the contract he signed in January 2018.