Blackburn Rovers have developed a reputation for nurturing young talent.

The club has one of the best academies in the country and the record of those coming into the first-team speaks for itself. That has been invaluable in supplementing Jon Dahl Tomasson's squad.

But those qualities also extend to looking after other teams' players. Rovers have enjoyed great success with young loaned talent, most notably Harvey Elliott and Jan Paul van Hecke in recent seasons.

Those relationships have served them well and were again crucial last summer when Brighton were choosing Andrew Moran's next destination. The teenager was ready for his first senior loan and Ewood Park was deemed the right fit.

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Moran has made 12 Championship appearances, seven of those starts, in one of the division's youngest side. The talent is evident and he is a perfect fit for Tomasson's style of football and the brand Rovers are trying to build.

It's been a relentless schedule for Moran in his first senior loan but an experience he is fully embracing.

"I've said a few times, it has been a perfect fit, the way the manager wants to play," Moran said. "He gives me freedom to play as much as I can, it's been perfect.

"I think it's a really important period, it's been midweek games, Saturday-Tuesday, we know how many games there are. There is no other way to look at it, we have enough quality in the changing room, the lads in the cup games have done so well and show the depth of quality.

"As soon as the game is over, you head on to the next one and it feels like we're travelling every day. You'd rather play than train so we are enjoying it."

As with all Premier League clubs now, Brighton have a loans manager who regularly checks in with their players. It happens to be a familiar name for Rovers fans, Gordon Greer, who made 20 appearances for the club in 2016/17.

With Moran heading for his first senior loan, there was little pressure placed on his shoulders by the Seagulls. But the 19-year-old often forgets he's not a Rovers player such is the immersive experience of Championship football.

"Yeah, it's Gordon Greer who used to play here, I check in with him regularly and I'm meeting him in a couple of days," he explained.

"It's little catch-ups to see how things are going. It depends on the loan, they're all different, it's my first so there weren't too many expectations of me from them.

"I've played a lot of games and that's been very good so far. That was my aim coming in, to play regularly, but I've forgotten I'm a Brighton player really, I am in Blackburn mode. I want to help this team."

It has been a special week for Moran, who will want to sign it off with victory at Stoke City. In the week, he made his senior debut for the Republic of Ireland, having been a regular for the Under-21s. It was a big family occasion with friends and loved ones watching on.

"It has been really good, I was called into the Under-21s and then the senior team after a few injuries," he said. "That's a dream come true, I've always wanted to play for Ireland and then to get on the other night, it was very special.

"It was a friendly so I thought if there was a chance for me to get on, it could be the right time. I was buzzing when he called me to go on, I was delighted.

"On a personal note, it was some night, I had loads of family and friends there. I made sure they were all there, my parents, brother, girlfriend and friends there as well, it was brilliant.

"Especially the fact it was at home, it was a perfect night. I went there as a kid to watch the Irish team so to play there was special."