After notching the winner in Rovers’ 2-1 home victory over lowly Barnsley, Chilean superstar, Ben Brereton Díaz – who became the second fastest player to hit 20 goals in a season for Rovers, after Alan Shearer, who took one game less – spoke to RoversTV as he reflected on his Wednesday night performance, the calendar year of 2021 and the season thus far.
“It’s amazing to hit twenty goals before the turn of the year, I’m really happy and I hope I can keep scoring goals. The lads, both today and throughout the season have been brilliant and there’s a real togetherness in the team. I’m happy to play a part and I hope I can keep scoring and we can keep winning games.
“We knew Barnsley were going to be a tough side to beat, but we could have scored four or five in the first-half. I’m delighted to have scored the 20th goal, here at Ewood Park, in-front of our fans. They created a great atmosphere for us today, and I’m delighted for the team and for myself and we hope we can keep this up. You can feel a real togetherness within the stadium and in the changing room. We’re all good mates and I’m delighted for the lads, the staff, the club and the fans, but we have to keep going now, keep pushing on and keep picking up points.
“I didn’t expect to hit twenty so early on in the campaign. I set my targets in pre-season and I wasn’t thinking about hitting twenty, I just wanted to have a good season and chip in with a few goals, here and there, but I feel really good, and I hope I can keep scoring goals for this great club. The forwards are on the pitch to score goals, get assists and win games, and to be honest with you, the lads behind us in midfield and defence have been amazing and have kept a load of clean sheets. I know we conceded one today, but we can forgive that now, after the run they’ve had at the back, because they’ve been brilliant. Darragh (Lenihan), Jan Paul (van Hecke) and Scotty (Wharton) have all been outstanding, as well as the wing-backs and ‘keeper, but we’ve got to keep our heads up and keep pushing.
“I feel really confident, as if I’m going to score in every game. Your confidence as an attacker will always be high when you’re in a team packed with quality and that’s what the players around me are. Going into games, I feel really good and confident and believe that I’m going to score, so hopefully that can continue.
“The fans have been brilliant with me this season. I think I’m in my third year here, at the club and I’m loving it here. The fans have been brilliant for us since the season kicked-off and they’re getting behind us and I think they’ve been a driving force that’s been pushing us on. You can see a real energy in the stadium, from the first whistle, to the last and even when we concede, they keep us going and rally behind us. The lads are really thriving off the support and hopefully we can keep it going.
“Everyone’s working hard in training, and they’re all brilliant, whether they start or not and there’s a real togetherness in this squad. We’re a young team, but we have a great bond, so we need to use that to help us in the new year. We shouldn’t get carried away, because nothing is done yet, but hopefully we can have a good second-half of the season.
“The fans can play a huge part in the second-half of the season. Our home form has been really good this year, but the away fans have also been brilliant. They create a great atmosphere with their singing, which is helped by the fact we’re getting more bodies through the door. Football is all about the fans, so it’s brilliant to see and hear them and we’re glad to have them back.
“2021 has been a brilliant year for myself, with the Chile call-up and my performances for Blackburn and I’ve been enjoying myself. Hopefully, 2022 can bring better things, especially for this club.”
