BLACKBURN Rovers striker Benni McCarthy has promised supporters he will be back to his best next season.

Rovers' South African hitman, who is hoping to recover from a hamstring injury in time to face Derby County tomorrow, reckons he has struggled for form this term, mainly because he became unsettled by speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea.

However, with those doubts concerning his future now resolved following his decision to sign a new three-year deal last week, McCarthy insists he is fully focused on re-establishing himself as Rovers' number one goalscorer.

Admitting he had his head turned by talk of a move to Stamford Bridge, McCarthy said: "It is a bit unsettling for any player when there are rumours and the possibilities that you might go, especially when it comes from clubs who are playing in the Champions League or fighting for trophies.

"You are flattered by that because it could be a step up, and then it starts to create a bit of tension between your team-mates and the manager.

"It can go to your head and unsettle you, and it's not been a great season because of that, but I've still scored a few goals."

Speculation linking McCarthy with a move to the Bridge first began to surface at the end of last season, when he finished second behind Didier Drogba in the race for the Premier League's Golden Boot.

At the time, Jose Mourinho was the Chelsea manager and he seemed keen to rekindle his relationship with McCarthy, after the pair had worked successfully together at Porto, winning the Champions League in 2004.

But although McCarthy has since admitted he was in contact with Mourinho, he wishes now he had ignored the speculation and concentrated solely on doing his best for Rovers instead.

"When there was talk of Jose Mourinho (being after me), who is a coach I know and everyone knows the relationship that we have, I was talking to him a lot and there was this idea that I might join him," said McCarthy.

"But I would have liked it if our relationship had just remained as it was, and there was no talk of me joining him at Chelsea.

"That way I could have fully concentrated on Blackburn, and my season might have been better as a result."

Having spent the last nine months living in Roque Santa Cruz's shadow, McCarthy, who has 12 goals to his name in all competitions this season, is keen to reclaim his crown as the club's leading marksman, hopefully firing Rovers back into Europe in the process.

He added: "Next season if I step up my game then with me, Roque, Jason Roberts, and Matt Derbyshire coming through, we'll have no problems in the striking department.

"I'm 30 years old and I still hope, over the next two or three years, there may be the possibility of a sniff of the Champions League with this club.

"The players here are good enough to play in the Champions League so if, for one season, we can concentrate from the word go we have the strength and the possibility to challenge the Manchester Uniteds and Arsenals."