IF I was to offer any advice to the six players Blackburn Rovers have put on the transfer list, it would be to take a pay cut and go and play football.

Rovers brought players in on big salaries but they are having to cut that wage bill now because of Financial Fair Play regulations, so I can understand why they have officially put players on the transfer list.

Gary Bowyer has already whittled down the squad a lot, he’s done a really good job cutting the wage bill so far and I’m sure the owners will be happy with the job he’s done with that.

He will want to get a few more out now so it will give him a bit more money to bring a couple of players in this summer.

It is going to be complicated to get rid of all six players that have been transfer listed, but 99 per cent of footballers want to play football.

Those players should take the hint now that they are not in the manager’s plans, and get their agents to look for new clubs.

I’m sure there are clubs who will take them, it’s just about being able to afford their wages.

I always put playing football before money throughout my career.

I had a situation many years ago where Howard Kendall tried to sell me to Halifax because he wanted to raise some money to buy a striker.

Halifax moved heaven and earth to try to sign me, and they offered me more money than I was on at Blackburn.

But they were right at the bottom of the Football League. There was no relegation then, you were voted out, but I could see the writing on the wall and I didn’t want to be dropping out of the Football League.

So I went back to Blackburn and said I didn’t want to go. I told them it didn’t feel right. Howard really wasn’t happy with me about that.

Some players could have gone back and ended up just playing in the reserves but Noel Brotherston got injured, I got back in the team and everything worked out really well.

You just want to play football and I can understand Alan Judge’s situation at the moment, which is a bit different to the players on the transfer list.

Alan has said he wants regular football and might have to go to Brentford if he can’t get that at Rovers.

I think Gary Bowyer and the club will probably understand that.

They sent him out on loan in the second half of the season so it looks like he’s probably not really in the manager’s plans, so they should say we’ll let you go and play football, we’ll not ask for a big fee and we’ll help you.

I think when you’re on good terms with the manager like Alan seems to be, the manager will sometimes help you out in that situation.