Blackburn Rovers have entered into something of a new era over the past week.
Following the departure of Jon Dahl Tomasson last Friday, the club moved quickly to anounce John Eustace as his replacement at Ewood Park.
The 44-year-old’s arrival is something that those associated with the club will initially hope helps propel them towards safety in the Championship table.
As things stand, Blackburn Rovers are 16th in the standings, seven points clear of the bottom three with 15 games of the league season still to play.
Beyond that battle to avoid relegation, there may also be a hope that certain players will be able to kickstart their careers again under Eustace.
One such player who may come into that category, is John Buckley.
Blackburn Rovers return imminent for John Buckley
The past year or so has certainly been a difficult one for Buckley. The midfielder saw his 2022/23 campaign ended prematurely due to injury last March.
Speaking at the time, Tomasson claimed that Buckley had been having an ‘excellent’ start to the calendar year.
Despite that, when he returned at the start of this season, the 24-year-old was unable to make himself a regular starter for Blackburn Rovers.
As a result, the final day of the summer transfer window saw the midfielder join fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on loan.
That move to Hillsborough though, did not exactly work out for Buckley. The midfielder started just five league matches for the Owls, before picking up a shoulder injury in November.
He would not play for Sheffield Wednesday again, and was recalled by Blackburn Rovers in January.
Now, Eustace has confirmed that Buckley is in contention to return to action on Saturday afternoon, when his side make the short trip to Deepdale to face Preston North End.
Given the circumstances, that does seem as though it may have come at the perfect both for Blackburn Rovers, and Buckley himself.
John Eustace can help kickstart midfielder’s career
The fact that Buckley is coming back to fitness at this particular moment, feels ideal for the Blackburn Rovers man.
With Eustace still just a week into the job, there is still plenty of time for the likes of Buckley to establish themselves as a first-choice option under the 44-year-old.
Beyond that, the new Blackburn Rovers boss could be one who suits the midfielder well when it comes to his development.
Eustace was reportedly a popular manager among his previous squad at Birmingham City. That particularly related to his development of young players.
Given he is still only 24, Buckley is at a relatively early stage of his career. Meanwhile, with 143 senior appearances to his name, he is arguably not the most experienced for someone of his age either.
That could mean he is exactly the type of player who benefit from the sort of man-management abilities Eustace has been lauded for.
It is also worth noting that the new Blackburn Rovers boss has suggested he does not want to entirely move away from the flowing style of football employed by his predecessor Tomasson.
However, Eustace has indicated he would like to add more solidity to the side while they play in that way.
Despite his stature, Buckley has become an increasingly combative player during his senior career. That though, has not seen him lose his eye for an excellent pass, that can help to open up defences.
The combination of those two attributes, could ensure he possesses both sides of what Eustace wants to instill at Blackburn Rovers. That in turn, could make him an important figure during the new head coach’s time at Ewood Park.
With that in mind, there may be an argument that there ought not to be many more excited about Eustace’s appointment by Blackburn Rovers, than Buckley himself.