Legends

Blackburn Rovers have enjoyed a storied history as a club, filled with a number of legends at Ewood Park. The Lancashire outfit have seen icons rise from the highs and lows of their past.

Players like Derek Fazackerley, who made a club-record 671 appearances, and Simon Garner, who scored a club-record 192 goals, established themselves as legends of Blackburn Rovers. Ronnie Clayton also has a stand named after him after a fabled run in a blue-and-white shirt.

Modern-day legends like Alan Shearer also cemented their names on the pages of Blackburn Rovers’ history books. The forward helped Rovers’ renowned owner, Jack Walker, deliver the Premier League title. So with that in mind, here are the top 10 legends to grace Ewood Park.

Bob Crompton

The history of Blackburn Rovers started in 1875. But shortly after in 1896, the legend of Bob Crompton started. The right-back emerged as the hometown hero at Ewood Park at the end of the 19th century. He spent the entirety of his playing career with the club for 576 outings.

Few full-backs of the era could rival the class that Crompton showed or match the character he became. His efforts in Lancashire even returned 41 caps with England between 1902 and 1914. It remained a record total for the Three Lions until Billy Wright surpassed him in 1952.

Coaches at the club and international levels revered the ball control that Crompton showed at Blackburn. He could play passes that others would never dream of attempting. Blackpool even named Crompton as their captain when he featured there in regional war-time games.

His heart was at Ewood Park, though, as Crompton twice returned to Blackburn as manager after retiring. Rovers gave the hometown hero the reigns from 1926 to 1931 and from 1938 to 1941. His tenures would deliver the 1927/28 FA Cup and the 1938/39 Division Two title, as well.

Ronnie Clayton

Such was the legend that Clayton was for Blackburn that Rovers renamed a stand at Ewood Park after the full-back. His journey with the club even began in Blackburn Rovers’ academy after joining as a youth. The Preston native would make his first-team debut at 16 years old.

Jackie Bestall brought Clayton into the fold during the 1950/51 season. Yet he took until just 1955 to become an England international and went on to captain the Three Lions five times over his 35 appearances. But outings with his country would only follow through until 1960.

Clayton remained a key player for Rovers until 1969, though, and ultimately bowed out with 665 games to his name. So, Blackburn moved to honour his legend in August 2011 when the club renamed the Blackburn End after Clayton at half-time during the first game of the term.

Rovers sought to honour the career of a true gentleman of his era. Clayton helped them win promotion to the First Division in 1958 and also captained them to the 1960 FA Cup final. He also marked Brazilian icon Pele in front of 187,000 fans with England at the 1958 World Cup.

Bryan Douglas

Bryan Douglas was the ultimate one-club man for Blackburn Rovers. He even turned down a switch to Grimsby Town under Bill Shankly to stay at Ewood Park. The decision to stay put in Lancashire helped to forge the career of an icon in blue-and-white for more than 500 games.

Shankly attempted to coax Douglas away from Blackburn after scouting the winger when he was just a teenager. But the forward was not for moving having only just signed professional forms with Rovers. His heart was also entirely besotted with his boyhood heroes, Blackburn.

Clubs up and down England tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to tempt Douglas into a move away from Blackburn throughout his career. The forward earned respect with his terrorising runs on the flanks that tormented full-backs and took him to two World Cups with England, too.

Douglas represented the Three Lions 36 times between 1957 and 1963, taking in the World Cups at Sweden 1958 and Chile 1962. But his true status as a legend of the game came with Blackburn, who recognised what Douglas displayed by renaming a statue after him in 2012.

“They have put me at the right end,” Douglas noted, via quotes by the Lancashire Telegraph, after Blackburn renamed the Darwen End as The Bryan Douglas Darwen End, in November 2012. “I was born just 400 yards away from the Darwen End. It is a really proud moment.”

Derek Fazackerley

Fazackerley stands strongly amongst the top 10 legends of Blackburn Rovers as their all-time record appearance maker. The centre-back featured an astonishing 671 times between 1969 and 1987 with a long list of managers trusting and relying on what he offered at Ewood Park.

Stability underpinned what made Fazackerley a legend in Lancashire and one whom Howard Kendall, Jim Smith and Gordon Lee loved. Even though he never played at a higher domestic level than the old Second Division, his assertiveness ensured his place in Blackburn’s history.

Fazackerley tempered his aggression to lead the Rovers backline with a cool but robust way of playing. His mannerisms further helped Blackburn to secure two promotions. But the club also endured two relegations during the icon’s fabled 18-year career at Ewood Park, as well.

Relegation into the old Third Division for the first time in the club’s history beckoned during Fazackerley’s first season in the first-team squad. He emerged out of Rovers’ academy as a promising 19-year-old in 1969 and played 12 times during their relegation-enduring season.

Simon Garner

Some of the English game’s greatest centre-forwards have played for Blackburn Rovers over the years. But no striker can yet rival Garner as Blackburn Rovers’ all-time record goalscorer after he registered 192 in 565 appearances. He also enjoyed a 14-year career at Ewood Park.

Garner first joined Rovers as an apprentice after impressing Blackburn during his youth with his local club, Boston United. It was then with the Ewood Park outfit in July 1978 that Garner turned professional. And thus began the career of a future legend in a blue-and-white shirt.

Rovers relished the attacking output Garner offered through until August 1992 when Kenny Dalglish accepted West Bromwich Albion’s £30k bid. But the attacker never recaptured what he showed in Lancashire, where Garner struck 168 of his goals through 474 league matches.

Garner became Blackburn’s record scorer on April 15, 1989 with the second goal of his hat-trick in a 4-0 win against Manchester City. It took him to 140 goals in a Rovers jersey, above Tommy Briggs’ record. While his final campaign secured promotion to the Premier League.

Alan Shearer

Shearer turned Walker’s dream into a reality as his goals helped fire Blackburn Rovers to the 1994/95 Premier League title. It was the highpoint of a historic career at Ewood Park, which only lasted four years. Yet those four years returned 130 goals during just 171 appearances.

Blackburn paid Southampton £3.5m to sign Shearer in July 1992 and shattered the domestic transfer record. Rovers spent big to sign a 21-year-old striker whilst he emerged as England’s new leading light after Gary Lineker. But his form led him back to Newcastle United in 1996.

The Magpies paid £15m for Shearer, which The Athletic equated to £222m in today’s money in March 2022. He left Ewood Park a hero and having won the 1996 European Championship Golden Boot. Shearer also finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting that year for his brilliance.

Players and pundits loved what Shearer showed in blue-and-white as he made the PFA Team of the Year in all four of his seasons with Blackburn. He even won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 1994/95 to follow his FWA Footballer of the Year award from the 1993/94 term.

The FWA acknowledged Shearer after he returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury to score 31 goals in 40 games. But a return of 34 goals in 42 fixtures during 1994/95 realised Walker’s Premier League title dream and cemented Shearer as a legend of Blackburn Rovers.

Brad Friedel

Graeme Souness took advantage of his legendary career at Liverpool to sign Brad Friedel for Blackburn Rovers in November 2000. The USA international even left Anfield for Ewood Park for free after failing to edge out rival competition from David James and Sander Westerveld.

Yet Liverpool’s loss was very much to Blackburn’s gain as Friedel went on to be a legend with Rovers. He would stay in Lancashire until July 2008 when Aston Villa took advantage of Paul Robinson moving to Ewood Park to edge Manchester City to a 37-year-old Friedel for £2.5m.

His eight years in Lancashire also saw Friedel start a record-setting run of appearances in the Premier League. The shot-stopper helped Rovers return to the top-flight in 2000/01 and also win the EFL Cup in 2001/02. While Friedel also scored at Charlton Athletic in February 2004.

Highlight moments littered Friedel’s Blackburn days, with his 15 clean sheets in the 2002/03 term securing him Rovers’ Player of the Year award and a place in the Premier League Team of the Season. His goal then followed in 2004 when Friedel turned the ball home at a corner.

Friedel became only the second goalkeeper to score in the Premier League from open play after Peter Schmeichel in 2001. While Friedel also went on to start a record-setting streak of 310 Premier League matches with Blackburn in August 2004 that ran until September 2012.

Tugay Kerimoglu

With Premier League football back at Ewood Park, Souness reunited with his old Galatasaray flame Tugay Kerimoglu in 2001. The midfielder played under the Scot with his boyhood club between 1995 and 1996. And their reunion would bring a true Turkish delight to Lancashire.

Souness raided another of his former sides, Rangers, to see Blackburn sign Kerimoglu in May 2001 for £1.5m. He only had to wait until October 2001 to see the Gala product fire his first goal in trademark fashion. Kerimoglu hit from outside the box to help thrash West Ham United 7-1.

Kerimoglu was more than just a cult hero to the Ewood Park faithful with his dedication and passion always evident. Rovers fans acknowledged his efforts in 2003/04, as well, with their Player of the Year gong. But his Blackburn career continued until May 2009 at the age of 38.

Tugay Kerimoglu was a well-loved Blackburn Rovers legend

The quality of his game astounded the masses in Lancashire with a tough-tackling nature yet with finesse to his passing. Kerimoglu’s consistency was also elite, much like his goals, as the midfielder’s brilliance on the ball outweighed his occasional lack of mobility in Rovers’ core.

Kerimoglu further secured a spot as a Blackburn Rovers legend when he called time on his career with Turkey, too. The midfielder hung up his international boots after 94 caps in 2003 at 33 years old. He felt it was the right thing to prolong his Blackburn career, which he loved.

“I am enjoying my time at Blackburn Rovers and have decided to retire from international football to help prolong my Premiership career,” he stated, via the Irish Times, in November 2003. “This is the happiest period of my football life and I’m looking forward to the future.”

Morten Gamst Pedersen

Morten Gamst Pedersen is one of Blackburn Rovers’ most adored modern-day legends after a spectacular nine years at Ewood Park. He lit up their stadium with some spectacular goals after jumping at a chance to switch to England under Souness ahead of the 2004/05 season.

Rovers made Pedersen wait for his transfer, though, after Tromso IL rejected Blackburn’s first bid for their star midfielder. He eventually came to Lancashire in August 2004 for £1.5m and quickly settled into the XI. Pedersen earned his debut in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Yet Mark Hughes replacing Souness spelt trouble for Pedersen and he had to fight for a spot in the team. But the Norway icon started 2005 as he meant to go on with a brilliant effort in an FA Cup tie at Cardiff City. He lifted the ball over Tony Warner to send Hughes a statement.

Blackburn Rovers legend Pedersen knew how to score a screamer

Pedersen only started after Brett Emerson suffered a late injury ahead of their trip to south Wales. It marked a fresh start for Pedersen but his best days were still to come under Sam Allardyce. The one-game England boss saw the midfielder’s creativity explode in 2008/09.

Blackburn secured Pedersen’s future at Allardyce’s request with a new contract in 2010. The club would come to revel in the decision to agree on new terms that November when he hit home a free-kick from an improbable angle in a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic at Ewood Park.

Ryan Nelsen

DC United selected Ryan Nelsen with the fourth overall pick during the 2001 MLS SuperDraft and acquired a defensive great. He would take over the team’s captaincy and won the black-and-red’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2003 before retaining the gong during 2004.

Nelsen also featured in the MLS Team of the Year in 2003 before helping DC United win the 2004 MLS Cup. The trophy was one of his final acts before moving to England under Hughes in January 2005 and starting a career with Blackburn Rovers that saw him become a legend.

Success in blue-and-white was instant for the New Zealand enforcer and Rovers gave him an improved contract after six months. Nelsen’s performances helped Hughes make Blackburn a defensive juggernaut. Together, they also took Rovers into the UEFA Cup Last 32 in 2006/07.

Hughes named Nelsen as Blackburn’s captain in January 2007, too, such was the respect he had for the defender. Yet the centre-back’s career at Ewood Park ultimately ended on a sour note in February 2012. Rovers agreed to mutually end his terms for him to join Tottenham.