Kyle McFadzean is looking forward to saying good-bye to Coventry City fans but only after he’s helped Blackburn Rovers to a huge three points as the Lancashire club look to secure their Championship safety.
The 37-year-old switched to Ewood Park in January, joining on a short-term deal which he hopes to extend in the summer after losing his place with the Sky Blues and bringing an end to a memorable four and a half years at the club where he established himself as a firm fans’ favourite.
Time off for compassionate leave following the loss of his mum coincided with a switch from a back three to a four in November as the centre-half lost his place in the City side, and a move to the north west followed in the January window.
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He made an instant impact on the team and then had to be patient for minutes after John Eustace changed from a back five to a four. But his performance levels and influence behind the scenes have made a decent argument for Rovers to keep him next season, writes Rovers’ reporter Elliott Jackson.
McFadzean has enjoyed his time at Ewood Park and would like to stay himself. He also insisted he still has plenty more to offer on the pitch after a disrupted campaign.
“I want to stay here, I have really enjoyed it,” he said, speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph. “I think that next year I can be a big part and help even more. I think the main thing is to win Saturday and then whatever happens, happens.
“I don’t know what the future holds. I’d like to finish, have pre-season and come back to stake a place. My season got stopped so I lost a bit of my fitness, other things happened in my family.
“I feel like my season had a big jolt and that didn’t help. I am looking forward to the season finishing and doing some running, doing the things I like in the off-season. I want to get as fit as I can in the off-season and give myself the best chance to start. I don’t want to sit on the bench, I want to fight for my place but if I’m not playing, I can help everyone.”
Saturday will be McFadzean’s first reunion with his former club which he holds dear to his heart. But his loyalties firmly lie with Rovers for 90 minutes and he stressed the importance of getting three points. He is hoping for an opportunity to say goodbye to the travelling supporters but only after a big victory.
“It’ll be weird to face them but I am focused on Blackburn and getting three points,” he said. “That’s the main thing. I hope we get a positive result and then I can say goodbye properly to the fans, which would be nice. I hope we beat them first though!
“It’s hard to know what they will do, maybe change the team up a bit to give those that haven’t played much a chance? It’s a squad game and a big ask to get in the play-offs now. It might be a good thing or a bad thing that they don’t have much to play for. They will be tired, they have played a lot of football recently. They play next Tuesday as well.
“You always have it in the back of your mind it might go to the wire but we are here now,” he added on the battle for survival. We can’t change anything, we could have, but we didn’t get the results we wanted on Sunday. It’s up to us and down to us now.
“We will stick together as a group, I know it’s a cliché but we have to win on Saturday. It’s a must-win. We have drawn a lot, which is fine, but you need the wins in-between. You have to get the balance right. It’s easier said than done, winning always makes things easier. We know what we have to do, it’ll be a tough game. We have to do everything possible to win on Saturday.”
