Former Rovers players - Goal compilation thread

[Upside Down]

On 27/09/2023 at 09:28, DeeCee said:

Whatever people's thoughts about BE, he played some great football for us and he could notch, right foot, left foot, headers. I liked him - lots.

This thread is depressing me, seeing what we were, and what we have become 😢

Always solid and dependable. Big fan of Emerton. 

Just a bit of a comedown after Duff. But he was world class.

[Oldgregg86]

21 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

Always solid and dependable. Big fan of Emerton. 

Just a bit of a comedown after Duff. But he was world class.

I might just not be paying attention but people always talk about friedel, shearer, tugay, Douglas, garner etc and rightly so but duff never really gets brought up . He is easily one of the best players to play for the club imo. He brought me so much joy cutting in off the left and dancing round defenders. He was also excellent defensively and put the hard yards in. I remember how quickly gresko regressed after duff left . I just find it strange that such a wonderful world class talent isn’t spoke about in the same way. Even when he went to Chelsea rumours where he didn’t want to leave rovers so he didn’t even leave on bad terms . 
 

Here’s one to start a debate through the decades. Who is rovers top three academy graduates ?

Edited October 6, 2023 by Oldgregg86

[Dan]

2 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I might just not be paying attention but people always talk about friedel, shearer, tugay, Douglas, garner etc and rightly so but duff never really gets brought up . He is easily one of the best players to play for the club imo. He brought me so much joy cutting in off the left and dancing round defenders. He was also excellent defensively and put the hard yards in. I remember how quickly gresko regressed after duff left . I just find it strange that such a wonderful world class talent isn’t spoke about in the same way. Even when he went to Chelsea rumours where he didn’t want to leave rovers so he didn’t even leave on bad terms . 

I seem to remember him kissing the Chelsea badge after scoring against us; that wouldn’t have helped…

[jim mk2]

6 hours ago, riverholmes said:

Hakan Şükür

 Legendary Turkish forward signed for us for half a season, 2002/03, sustaining a broken leg at the start and then leaving after some sort of dispute or disagreement with the club. He scored two classy goals for us. This was the time Souness signed Hakan Unsal as well, at left back, who also left after a short spell.

He was past his best but if he had stayed, it could've been fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWDc2JNv_NQ (low quality video)

 

 

 

Thanks for that. Super player, lovely to watch- shame he wasn't at Rovers longer. Didn't he have a row with Souness? He wouldn't be the first. Met him after a game - a really nice guy. The talent in that Rovers team compared to now. Makes you weep

[Oldgregg86]

10 hours ago, Dan said:

I seem to remember him kissing the Chelsea badge after scoring against us; that wouldn’t have helped…

Ahh I didn’t know that. Was he getting stick that day ? Shearer did some fan goading but all seems to be forgiven with him. Just find it strange he wasn’t remembered more fondly , normally with time, unless they did something truly arseholish people remember the good times 

[Upside Down]

53 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Ahh I didn’t know that. Was he getting stick that day ? Shearer did some fan goading but all seems to be forgiven with him. Just find it strange he wasn’t remembered more fondly , normally with time, unless they did something truly arseholish people remember the good times 

I'll only ever remember the good times with Duff. To be honest it was always a good time when he was on the pitch. 

He was absolutely world class. He could beat anyone anywhere. A proper winger.

Top top player. Will always be in my Rovers best XI.

[wilsdenrover]

39 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

I'll only ever remember the good times with Duff. To be honest it was always a good time when he was on the pitch. 

He was absolutely world class. He could beat anyone anywhere. A proper winger.

Top top player. Will always be in my Rovers best XI.

One of the best three Rovers debuts I can remember seeing (the other two being Phil Jones and Emerton). 

[SuperBrfc]

17. Roque Santa Cruz

 

[SuperBrfc]

18. Benni McCarthy

 

[SuperBrfc]

19. Stuart Ripley

 

[SuperBrfc]

20. David Bentley

 

[Ianrally]

On 06/10/2023 at 22:22, Dan said:

I seem to remember him kissing the Chelsea badge after scoring against us; that wouldn’t have helped…

I seem to remember an interview he gave on TV about his career and never mentioned Rovers. 

[Mattyblue]

Think that was a ‘best XI’ interview on Sky, where he picked the best players he played with.

From memory not a single Rovers player got a mention even in passing, never mind put in the XI… and just think of some of the players he was with here from 1996 to 2003.

[LeftWinger]

Not goals - but related to the clip of Bentley above.

He was at Spurs and "just wanted to go back to Blackburn"

Only just over 200 career appearances and played his last game at 28 - retiring aged 29 after 'falling out of love' with football.

He should be the poster boy of players who thought the grass was greener on the other side after leaving Rovers. Ash Phillips take note.

Absolutely superb player in his peak with us. Some of the goals in that compilation are absolutely outstanding. 

[SuperBrfc]

On 14/12/2023 at 09:24, LeftWinger said:

Not goals - but related to the clip of Bentley above.

He was at Spurs and "just wanted to go back to Blackburn"

Only just over 200 career appearances and played his last game at 28 - retiring aged 29 after 'falling out of love' with football.

He should be the poster boy of players who thought the grass was greener on the other side after leaving Rovers. Ash Phillips take note.

Absolutely superb player in his peak with us. Some of the goals in that compilation are absolutely outstanding. 

It's evident from that clip just how much Bentley enjoyed his time here, and Sav too. Brad, Nelsen, Pedersen, to name a few, have also said similar, all looking back fondly on those days as the best times of their career.

Shows what an excellent setup we had. Bentley touches on it at the end there, and I've heard him say it elsewhere too, about his return to Rovers on loan in 2013. Words few in number, but words that resonate deeply:

"It just wasn't the same club anymore".

Still, he was a heck of a player for us and I'm glad that he regards his happiest playing memories being whilst playing for Rovers.

[SuperBrfc]

21. Mike Newell

 

[SuperBrfc]

22. Steven Reid

 

[riverholmes]

A few talking points from these highlights of Birmingham City 0 Rovers 4 in December 2003. Barry Ferguson scored a goal and Tugay hit one of his best goals for Rovers but I’d like to point out Paul Gallagher’s first Premiership goal, a neat touch and finish. He also had a hand in two others. 

Gallagher was given his debut by Souness after an outstanding goal record at reserve level. He could score almost any goal, be it dead ball, in the air and poacher goals. Early on he lacked physical strength and he never had a lot of pace but he had excellent technique and came on to play right midfield at times.

In some ways, though playing in a different position, he reminds me of Adam Wharton, in his effortlessness on the ball but  question marks over his application and mentality.

He did end up having a very good career away from Rovers but, perhaps, didn’t fulfil his potential.

Birmingham City 0 - 4 Rovers, December 2003 (Ferguson, Neill, Tugay, Gallagher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Z4ZZuFKFc&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brfcs.com%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Edit: I remember him going on loan with Jay McEveley to Plymouth and despite scoring some great goals, their fans weren't convinced by his commitment or work-rate. They were relegated that season, if I remember rightly. Personally, I feel he had the all the attributes to be a decent Premier League player barring the attitude. However, at PNE he did really well and even became a central midfielder.

 

Edited January 17 by riverholmes

[SuperBrfc]

On 14/01/2024 at 23:28, riverholmes said:

A few talking points from these highlights of Birmingham City 0 Rovers 4 in December 2003. Barry Ferguson scored a goal and Tugay hit one of his best goals for Rovers but I’d like to point out Paul Gallagher’s first Premiership goal, a neat touch and finish. He also had a hand in two others. 

Gallagher was given his debut by Souness after an outstanding goal record at reserve level. He could score almost any goal, be it dead ball, in the air and poacher goals. Early on he lacked physical strength and he never had a lot of place but he had so much promise and came on to play right midfield at times.

In some ways, though playing in a different position, he reminds me of Adam Wharton, in his effortlessness on the ball but  question marks over his application and mentality.

He did end up having a very good career away from Rovers but, perhaps, didn’t fulfil his potential.

Birmingham City 0 - 4 Rovers, December 2003 (Ferguson, Neill, Tugay, Gallagher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Z4ZZuFKFc&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brfcs.com%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

 

I enjoyed watching Gally play for us. He wasn't the biggest or the quickest, but even at that young age you could see that he had the technical quality to make a contribution. He was surrounded by experienced heads who could help him out and advise when needed. That's how it should be. Not making them central figures allowing all the pressure to be placed on them.

I remember it was Gally who played a superb through ball to Jon Stead for the winner against United in 2004. He played his part alongside Stead in the second half of that season, to steer us away from trouble, and that's how I mostly remember his time here.

A goal of his that often comes to mind when I see his name mentioned, is the late equaliser against Chelsea at Ewood in Feb 2004. Narrow angle, he somehow clipped it past Cudicini (I think it was). Clever finish. I was sat right behind it in the Riverside. Of course, in typical Rovers fashion, we went and lost the game in injury time.

He wasn't quite good enough to be a Premier League regular, in a side that was trying to achieve top 10 and more, but had a good career in the Divisions below.

Oh and just on that clip. Good link up by Gally, but what a ball from Coley for the first goal. Superb!

Niall Ennis? F.O!! We know what strikers look like at this club. That joker and Telalovic are not it.

[SuperBrfc]

23. David Speedie