LEE Carsley today vowed to stay with Blackburn Rovers even if the worst happens and relegation fears become a reality.

"I certainly won't be baling out," said the tough midfielder who swapped top-half comfort with Derby for the relegation scrap with Rovers when he made his pre-deadline £3.375 million move.

"If we do go down, we have to rebuild and come back even stronger.

"But it's not inevitable and we will be doing our best to stay up. We have to be confident.

"We are not just going to lie down and die for anyone and we'll battle it out until the last game.

"I took the situation into consideration when I moved and I have never regretted coming to Blackburn. It's not every day you get the chance to work with Brian Kidd.

"The gaffer was one of the main reasons I joined and he has already picked out things in my game which I can improve."

Carsley pondered the relegation scenario before signing for Rovers and says that the pluses would still outweigh the minuses even if they were to go down.

He wants to win this relegation scrap but he and his wife Louisa have had far more important things to contend with - which put football into perspective.

Their son Connor, who is now nearly four months old, was born with Downs Syndrome.

"When something happens to you as has happened to me and my family it puts everything into perspective," he said. "As long as you are healthy - that's the main thing.

"I haven't really had that much time to think about it. At the end of the season I'll probably have a nervous breakdown.

"But I'll sit down when the season's over and think about things because a lot has happened to us over the past three or four months.

"Connor been going to the hospital for treatment and all the signs we are getting back from the hospital are good.

"We checked out the hospital before I signed and he's going to one at Preston where they are very helpful as well."

Carsley has shown a lot of personal courage to make a major career move at such a time. But he does not take his problems onto the pitch and, in fact, finds football a big help.

"We are employed to be footballers and be professional and I think I have tried to do that," he added.

"It's easier said than done but we found out Connor had Downs Syndrome on the Monday and I played the following Saturday.

"I suppose it was better for me because the wife hasn't really got anything to take her mind off it.

"Whereas I have got my football."

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