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Turkish delight

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BLACKBURN striker Matt Jansen has warned his Ewood colleagues to expect a hot reception as Rovers prepare to launch their UEFA Cup campaign in Turkey tomorrow.

Jansen knows how volatile Turkish football fans can be after making a similar visit to the country with Crystal Palace in 1998 for an Intertoto Cup tie against Samsunspor.

On that occasion the Palace team bus was pelted with bricks and stones and Jansen and his team-mates spent most of the trip confined to the team hotel.

Not surprisingly, that turned out to be the most hostile environment in which the Rovers striker has ever played a game and Jansen is bracing himself for more of the same in Ankara, despite reassurances from Rovers boss Graeme Souness that Turkish fans are far less intimidating than their reputation would suggest.

"I've been to Turkey before in my Crystal Palace days and it's a hostile place," said Jansen. "On that occasion our bus got pelted with bricks and rocks.

"It was well policed but it's a hostile environment so I'm sure it will be the same again.

"I don't think I have experienced anything like that anywhere else. It's not nice when the coach is getting pelted and it was new to me and quite a few of the players.

"I remember some of us saying 'Is this normal? Is this right?' But apparently it does happen.

"When you are playing, though, you kind of forget what's happening around you because you're concentrating on the game.

"There are odd moments when you think 'What happens if we win here? Are we going to get pelted or is there going to be a pitch invasion?' But, thankfully, we didn't win."

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Ironically, Souness once nearly caused a riot in a Turkish ground during his time as manager of Galatasaray when he famously planted a Gala flag in the centre of arch-rivals Fenerbahce's pitch after winning the Cup final.

Jansen hopes his manager will be more restrained tomorrow, however, as Rovers go in search of a crucial first leg advantage.

"Graeme's well-known in Turkey for planting flags in the middle of the pitch but I'll be hiding in the dressing room if he does that again," quipped Jansen.

"Hopefully, we can do a smash and grab by getting the result and then getting out of there as fast as possible."

Despite Jansen's eagerness to get the job done quickly, he would jump at the chance of returning to the country again next month when England meet Turkey in what promises to be an explosive Euro 2004 qualifier.

A lot has happened to the 25-year-old in the 18 months since he was last being touted as a possible candidate for Sven Goran Eriksson's England squad.

However, some of his performances in the opening few weeks of the new campaign would suggest that he might be capable of recapturing the kind of form he was showing before a serious motorbike accident left him fighting to save his career.

"Right now, I would say I'm still slightly off my best," said Jansen.

"Before the accident I was knocking on the England door and until I'm doing that again I won't say that I'm anywhere near back.

"That's my ultimate goal. At the moment I'm happy playing constantly for Blackburn and hopefully playing well. The rest is then up to Sven.

"After being out for a year, it takes time to establish yourself in the Premiership again.

"I thought it was too late to get called up for the World Cup but it was March or April when I got called into the England squad and then tipped to go to the World Cup.

"So I'm not saying it's too late to get into the squad before the European Championships.

"That would be the ultimate ambition but at the moment I've got to keep playing well for Blackburn."