DERBY hero Shane Duffy says the Blackburn Rovers players have immediately bought into new boss Paul Lambert’s regime.

The Rovers squad were put through their paces with a series of ‘tough’ sessions during Lambert’s first week in charge.

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And, after ensuring his Ewood Park reign got off to the perfect start with a 2-1 triumph at Preston North End on Saturday, they were back on the training ground on Sunday.

Duffy, who produced a superb defensive display in the Deepdale victory, said: “It’s been enjoyable, it’s been good, it’s different, but it’s been tough. He’s (Lambert) really on it.

“But I think all the lads have bought into it straight away and the way we played on Saturday, we were tough, tough to break down, and difficult to play against. That’s what you need in this league.

“The week has gone well and all the lads are enjoying it.”

Rovers will return to Brockhall this morning to continue preparations for Saturday’s home clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

They will go into Lambert’s first home game in charge on the back of the hard-fought win over Preston.

“It was a good win for us,” said Duffy, a Celtic supporter who grew up watching his new manager play for the Glasgow giants.

“It was a proper Championship game with a lot of defending to do. It’s a good start for us and it’s what we wanted.

“They launched a fair few balls in there at the end as they were going for it. We managed to deal with it but I don’t think it was just me and Grant (Hanley), I think it was the whole back four and the two in midfield.

“It’s the Championship, it’s like that, and you’ve got to defend like that. We want to be organised and it showed out there.

“That’s what the gaffer had got across and what we had worked hard on all week – being hard to break down because the football side of it will come.

“We are going to be organised and we were. We got the three points and got out of there.”

The success moved Rovers up to 13th and within eight points of sixth-placed Birmingham City.

Duffy says the aim for this season, before and after Lambert’s arrival as Gary Bowyer’s successor, has always been the play-offs.

But the Republic of Ireland international insists Rovers are not looking further than this weekend’s visit of the in-form Owls.

“We’re just going to take it game by game,” said Duffy, who learned of Bowyer’s fate through centre-back partner Hanley as he was on international duty at the time.

“We know we’ve got the players and obviously the staff now and hopefully we can climb up the league game by game.

“We don’t look too much into the future. The next game is Sheffield Wednesday at home so we’ll look forward to that this week.

“But the play-offs have been the aim since the start of the season and nothing has changed.”