Jake Garrett has opened up on the 'tough' decision to ask for a loan move to better his chances of success in the Blackburn Rovers first team.

The 21-year-old won Rovers' Young Player of the Year last term but opted for a move to League One, joining Bristol Rovers for the season. Rovers a recall clause in January.

Garrett made 28 appearances last term but as Rovers battled relegation, he played only 100 minutes in their last 13 games. In that time, he was either an unused substitute or not in the squad on nine occasions.

That taste for men's football in the first half of the season drove Garrett's decision to move on loan. He thinks a season of playing week in, week out, will stand him in good stead to challenge next season at Rovers.

READ MORE: EUSTACE SETS CHALLENGE FOR CANTWELL AFTER ROVERS MOVE

"It was a tough decision," Garrett told Bristol Live.

"At the end of the day, I want the best for my career and Blackburn want the best for my career as well. That's when we sat down to see what was best for me this year.

"I got Young Player of the Year last year which has brought me a lot of confidence for this season but I feel like this season I want 30 games minimum. I know what goals I've set myself and at the end of the day it's how I progress and that's when I'm on the pitch and playing 90 minutes.

"It was a really good experience for me being young and experiencing a new manager coming in, different tactics and different everything really, even around the building. It really got me clued up for the future.

"Just different styles of play and then obviously when we were in very a tough position and going into a bit of a relegation battle, obviously it went down to the last minute, I had to be quite patient I thought and it just made me realise that in men's football how tough you've got to be on and off the pitch. It's put me in good stead I'd say.

"I feel like he [Eustace] was on the same page as me. He knows I want to play football and he understood that so obviously when I said I want to play as many games as possible, it was like am I going to play as many games as I can at Blackburn? 

"I think he understood I'm a young lad, I'm eager to play. I think I'm at that level now where I can play as well. I feel like I had some very good performances last year in the Championship so I just want to get a consecutive amount of games and just show week in, week out, this is what I can bring and then you never know, when I do come back I've got to fight again and show them what I can do.

"As soon as you get a sniff of it, every player wants to start straight away," the midfielder added. "As soon as I've come into the building and I've come onto the grass, the first thing I want to do is start for the team and show them what I can do and help them as much as possible so I'm eager to get the start.

"When I've come off the bench I feel like I've done well so I need to get those starts so hopefully this season coming on loan I can get them and then maybe next year push for starts at Blackburn."