MATT Jansen today vowed to use his loan spell at Coventry City as a springboard back into the Rovers first team.

Jansen linked up with his new Sky Blues team-mates for the first time yesterday since agreeing to join the First Division club on a three-month loan.

And, although he admitted he's still not ready to compete for a regular starting place at Ewood just yet, he believes he can accelerate his recovery process by playing a leading part in City's push for the Premiership.

"There is competition for places at Blackburn but I wouldn't say I am ready to force my way back into the Blackburn team just yet, which is why I've come here," admitted Jansen.

"Coventry have been watching my progress and they are happy to take me, so I jumped at the chance.

"The doctor and neuro-surgeon said that it would be good for me to play first-team football and Graeme Souness said it would be unfair to rush me back when I was not really 100 per cent, so I agreed that I needed to go out on loan.

"Gary McAllister knows my situation that I am not quite 100 per cent yet and still a little ring rusty, and it might take a couple of games or more to get there.

"So hopefully he will be patient but all I can do is give 100 per cent and see what kind of results come from that."

Jansen has endured a traumatic nine months since he suffered serious head injuries as a result of a motorbike accident last summer.

He only returned to action with the reserves in October and his first team appearances have been fleeting since.

But this is the chance to get some much-needed competitive match action under his belt with a view to him being ready to compete for a first team place at Ewood by the start of next season.

"It's been a nightmare since my accident," revealed the striker.

"At first I was sleeping 18 or 19 hours in a day and then I had balance and co-ordination problems.

"I couldn't even catch a ball but the progression was quite steep and I got better and better every day.

"That slowed down and the progression is a lot steadier now and although they anticipated me being 100 per cent by now, they said the brain is so complex that you can't rush it and it can take up to 12 months to fully recover.

"But, hopefully, with a few games under my belt I will be back to where I was sooner rather than later.

"My match fitness is fine. I haven't had a problem with fitness.

"I did a bleep test last Friday and managed to get as good a score as I achieved last year, so that was pleasing. It's just the finer tuning that has got to be there."

Jansen, who joined Coventry on the advice of Rovers team-mates Craig Hignett and David Thompson, admits the trauma of the last nine months has changed his outlook on life.

But the 25-year-old, who was on the verge of an England call-up this time last year, is concentrating on looking to the future now rather than the past.

"The only way it has changed me is that I don't take football for granted as much as I used to.

"My family are obviously a lot more important to me, too. They've been very supportive, as have Blackburn Rovers, and my girlfriend Lucy, who was there at the accident, has helped me through it all."