With the season at an end and the domestic transfer window having been open since 7th May, Rovers have released a statement announcing who they will offer contracts to and who they will release ahead of the 2018-19 Championship campaign.
With their contracts set to expire on 30th June, Tony Mowbray has decided to offer contracts to Danny Graham and Craig Conway, in a bid to retain their services for at least, next season. Danny Graham, fully deserves a new set of terms, after netting 17 goals and providing 9 assists in all of the 48 games he played throughout the season. With Rovers heading into the Championship with only Dominic Samuel and Joe Nuttall as ‘out-and-out strikers’ within the Rovers ranks, the securing of Graham’s services, prior to any potential new faces coming in, will ease any nerves that Rovers fans may have, in terms of their team’s potential lack of goals for next season.
Craig Conway, the second to receive an offer, is a player who is much liked by the fans, but has seen himself drop down the pecking order at Ewood Park, mainly due to injuries. The Scot, who arrived at Rovers on deadline day in January 2014 from Cardiff City for an undisclosed fee, has played 173 games for the club in 4 and a half years, netting 20 goals and providing a colossal 40 assists. Despite Conway’s reduced game time this season, in comparison to years prior, the Scot managed to return 2 goals and 3 assists, despite only playing 4 full games throughout the season, with most of his appearances coming either, off the bench, or after not having the full complement of 90 minutes. If Conway was to sign an extension, his experience in the Championship, ability to pick out a pass and work-rate, may prove invaluable for Rovers throughout the course of the campaign.
Despite their offers from Rovers, Graham and Conway have the liberty to listen to offers from elsewhere as a result of them being over the age of 24, which entitles them to move clubs for free with no compensation required.
From the perspective of the youth team, forward Lewis Mansell looks set to continue his rise up the Rovers ranks following an offer of an extension which, if accepted, will come into effect on 1st July. Additionally, to Mansell, Charlie Albinson and Andrew Jackson have also been given an extra 12 months, after seeing their deals extended by the club, as Rovers continue to build for the future using their impressive youth setup.
With the retained players sorted, those who seek pastures new are; Elliott Ward, Liam Feeney, Aaron Dillon, Matthew Campbell, Matthew Chan, Callum Dolan, Ben Donnelly-Blackburn, Frank Jones and Brad Lynch after being told that they will not have their contracts renewed by the club.
The two registered first-team players, who will be departing upon the expiry of their contracts are Elliott Ward and Liam Feeney, both of whom have spent the majority of the season out on loan.
Ward, who was signed by former manager, Paul Lambert from Bournemouth on a free transfer in 2016, departs the club after 31 appearances, 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 and a half years. Alongside an injury-plagued spell at Ewood Park, Ward was never able to truly establish himself as a regular fixture within the Rovers side, under the various managers that he played under and was eventually shipped out to MK Dons on loan in January 2018, where he played in 15 of the 18 games he had available, but couldn’t aid the Dons in their challenge to avoid a relegation to League 2.
The second first-teamer who has not agreed fresh terms, is Liam Feeney. The pacey winger, who re-signed for the club last summer – after previously having a loan spell at Ewood in 2013-14 – was unable to assert a place within Tony Mowbray’s side, both in 2016-17 or 2017-18 and was quickly sent out on loan to Cardiff City, where the Englishman has had success in guiding the Bluebirds back to the Premier League. With Feeney’s two spells seeing the winger play a total of 49 games, scoring 1 goal and creating 5 in the process, the 31-year old departs Ewood Park with some potential suitors eyeing up the winger, following his help in Cardiff’s promotion. With Feeney linking up with Neil Warnock’s side in the summer, the winger was able to do enough to convince the 69-year old to extend his loan deal in January, until the end of the season. Throughout his spell in Wales, Feeney played 16 games, without being able to find the back of the net, despite having 1 assist to his name.
Rovers have extended their gratitude to all the players who will depart the club, come the expiry of their respective contracts on 30th June, as Tony Mowbray gears up for the summer transfer window – which opens internationally on 6th June – ahead of a make or break period, before Rovers’ return to the Championship.
