BLACKBURN Rovers' on-loan keeper Richard Lee today said he's loving life in the fast lane at Ewood Park.

The 23-year-old stopper, who joined Rovers on a season-long loan from Watford in August, is relishing working alongside goalkeeping great Brad Friedel on a daily basis.

And Lee admits he would jump at the chance to continue that education beyond the end of season if Rovers boss Mark Hughes was to offer him a permanent deal in the summer.

Lee has made a favourable impression since he hooked up with his new club three months ago and he was given his first taste of Premiership action when he made the bench for Saturday's 4-1 demolition of Charlton Athletic.

Now, spurred on by that experience, he's ready to knuckle down and prove that he deserves to be part of Hughes' long-term plans for the club by putting pressure on Peter Enckelman in the battle to be Friedel's deputy.

"I'm enjoying it here," said Lee, who was brought to Rovers on the recommendation of goalkeeping coach Kevin Hitchcock, who used to hold a similar post at Watford.

"The training has been tough, Kevin Hitchcock has been really putting me through my paces, but I got an appearance on the bench at the weekend and I'm really enjoying working with the players and staff here.

"My aim for the season is to improve my game, first and foremost, and hopefully if I can get myself on the bench or in contention then that will be ideal.

"But, for now, I'm just taking it day by day, I'm really working hard, and I think I'm seeing the benefits of that."

Lee has seized the chance to impress whenever he has played for the club's reserve side and he believes his game has already improved markedly since he linked up with Rovers at the end of the summer.

"I think I'd got to a level at Watford where I was happy with my performance but it was important to kick on and coming here has really made me concentrate on different parts of my game," said the Oxford-born stopper.

"Just getting the chance to work with someone like Brad Friedel is a massive buzz for me because he's the ultimate professional.

"He trains hard, he plays hard and he enjoys it as well, so it's been great for me to learn off someone like him and I'm trying to add bits of his game into my game all the time."

With Friedel continuing to star in the Premiership, Lee accepts the prospects of displacing him as Hughes' undisputed number one are slim for now, unless the American was to pick up an unwelcome injury.

But he would rather stay and try his luck with Rovers in the top-flight than return to Watford and life in The Championship.

"I'd love to stay here, I'm not going to lie, but that's obviously up to the boss and hopefully I'm impressing him," added Lee.

"I'm trying as hard as I can and that's all I can do, but if there was an opportunity to stay then I'd love to take it.

"I've enjoyed how it's gone so far, I've settled in well, I've got to know some of the lads, and all I'm doing is my best so, hopefully, that's good enough."