Rovers started the 2023-24 Championship campaign, exactly how they started the previous two season – with a home victory! Jon Dahl Tomasson beamed with pride, despite being soaked due to the rain, as he discussed his delight to RoversTV, after watching Dilan Markanday and Harry Leonard net their first senior goals on their first senior league starts, which saw the Blues overcome West Bromwich Albion by a 2-1 scoreline.
“The lads deserved the three points, it was an exceptional win and a great performance to boot against one of the best teams in the league. I think we scored two really good goals. We should have probably scored the third, fourth and fifth goals, as well. We conceded a really unnecessarily, stupid goal, which I was unhappy with. The intensity, spirit and togetherness was excellent, both from the lads and from the supporters inside Ewood, despite it being a rainy day in Blackburn!
“I thought we were the much better team in the second-half. We were dominant in what we want to see in the first-half, but I was not totally satisfied with that first period, even though we scored two great goals, but it’s always nice to start a new season, at home, at our fortress, with three points, so I’m pleased!
“All the lads are doing a great job. We have a very young squad, but it makes me proud when I see how hard they’re working. I think our average age was under 24, but when you see how they act and the way they perform with maturity, it’s really positive. We have to give the academy and the staff there, great credit.
“I was happy to see Harry (Leonard) and Dilan (Markanday) score goals, because we need goals to win games(!) I spoke with Harry immediately after the game and he said: “I could have had a hattrick today,” yes you could have, but on the other hand, he scored his first senior goal on his first start which he should be proud of. Dilan was the same, also scoring his first senior goal on his first league start, so he should also be delighted with his excellent goal.
“It shows Harry’s mentality that he’s thinking of the chances he missed. Strikers live for goals. They need to see the ball hit the back of the net and the smile on the faces of the fans. It’s an incredible feeling that I felt many times as a player! You can’t describe that feeling, you have to experience it to understand the emotion of scoring a goal in-front of amazing fans.
“I remember when I was a youngster, and I scored my first professional goal. It was a very proud moment for myself, the team, but also my family. The family of any footballer invest a lot of time in a player, and it starts from when you’re very young playing in the schoolyard, but it takes a lot of time, dedication, hard work and effort to get to this level. However, when you score the first goal, it makes you want more. You should always, as a player, want to perform and improve.
“The desire and hunger to improve should be there for everybody, not just for young Harry. At the end of the day, a footballer’s career should be about achieving something and being ambitious, otherwise, you’ll never be successful if you’re easily satisfied. Dilan has had a good pre-season. We all know that he had a difficult time in Scotland, but he came back with a great attitude and wanted to show his quality. Scoring a goal should be great for his confidence. We had a choice to go with Dilan or Ryan (Hedges) who was back fit, but you have to make your decision based on what you’ve seen in pre-season, but also based on the opposition and the tactical potential to make a switch during the game. We all know that Ryan can impact a game from the bench, which I thought he did well.
“The fans were brilliant, almost 17,000 of them. They came out in this bad weather, which we’re all now used to! But I’m sure they’re all leaving Ewood Park with big smiles on their faces after getting three points. They showed the spirit and togetherness, which I spoke about last season, at our fortress and I saw a lot of happiness around the stadium when I was looking around, which was great to see.
“It’s great to start the season with a victory. It’s a long season and we will win and lose games along the way, we know that. However, it’s always nice to start the season with three points.”
