Boss Mogga can still ignite Ewood spark says Hignett

CRAIG HIGNETT has told Blackburn they must do all they can to hold on to Tony Mowbray.

Along with several first-team players, Rovers boss Mowbray is out of contract this summer and has confirmed he is yet to be offered a new deal.

But former Blackburn midfielder Hignett (below) insists “Mogga’’ – as Mowbray is affectionately known throughout the game – deserves job security regardless of whether he leads Rovers to promotion.

Surprise package Blackburn were second in the Championship in

January and early

February, but are now in a battle to make the play-offs after picking up only 11 points from their last 15 games.

Hignett, 52, however – an academy coach at Middlesbrough when Mowbray (below) was manager

– said: “Tony has done a great job at Blackburn. It looked like they were going to be there or thereabouts for an automatic place at one stage.

“But they’ve had injuries and other people have gone – Harvey Elliott was on loan from Liverpool last season and Adam Armstrong, with all his goals, went to Southampton – and they’ve paid the price towards the end of this season.

“I’d love to see them back in the Premier League – it’s a great club. The Championship is a horrible division to play in and probably the hardest to get out of.

“Tony is a proper football man. He has principles and plays football the right way, but it hasn’t been all plain sailing for him. To move the club forward has been difficult because I don’t think the money is there.

“It’s a shame they’ve fallen away a bit, but if they don’t make it this season, I think he deserves the chance to have another crack at promotion next season – if he wants that.

“If he’s going to be backed and given the chance to rebuild, I’m sure he’d love to have another go.’’

Blackburn visit local rivals Preston tomorrow night – the scene of Rovers’ 2001 promotion party. It was Hignett’s corner, helped on by Craig Short, which Matt Jansen headed in for the only goal of the game as Graeme Souness led Rovers back into the Premier League.

Hignett said: “We won 1-0 and it was a great night.

“It was a year after I’d missed out on promotion with Barnsley when we lost

4-2 to Ipswich in the play-off final. Mogga was in the Ipswich side – and we were both on the scoresheet.’’