BRETT Emerton has paid Rovers team-mate Carlos Villanueva the highest compliment by dubbing him a natural match-winner.

Chilean Villanueva has shown just glimpses of his undoubted quality in the Rovers engine-room since joining on a year-long loan deal from homeland club Audax Italiano.

After netting his first Rovers goal in the Carling Cup victory over Grimsby, the silky playmaker followed that up in the Premier League, his sumptuous cross leading to Matt Derbyshire’s winner against Fulham, while he rattled the crossbar in the 0-0 draw at Bolton.

Blackburn boss Paul Ince will be keen to draw more consistency from Villanueva, 22 – as he continues to settle into a new life in England – but Emerton has seen enough of the talented South American to know he brings a different attacking dimension to the Ewood Park outfit.

“Carlos brings something totally different to the team,” said the experienced Aussie. “He’s very skilful and can create something out of nothing really.

“He’s a great player to have in your side, whether he starts a game or comes on late in the game. He can win football matches for us.”

Earlier this season, Villanueva quashed unfounded rumours that he was struggling to settle at Rovers and adapt to living in England.

Emerton, similarly, left Australia for Europe at the age of 21 to join Dutch giants Feyenoord, three years before moving to Blackburn, and knows how tough it can be crossing continents for the sake of his football career.

But he insists his Chilean team-mate is content with life in the Northern Hemisphere.

“For myself, coming from Australia, my mentality is not too much different from English people,” said the 29-year-old midfielder.

“Obviously, Carlos may be a little different, but he seems to have settled in very well.

“He’s got a few boys looking after him, like Roque and a few others, so he’s made some good friends and it hasn’t seemed to have bothered him whatsoever.”

And with David Dunn and Steven Reid both long-term injury victims at Ewood Park, Emerton expects Villanueva – and his Aussie compatriot Vince Grella – to be given plenty of opportunites to prove their worth to Rovers.

He said: “Steven and Dunny are two big losses for us because both are such fantastic players.

“But it’s a long season and there’s going to be opportunities for everyone to go out there and show everyone, most of all the manager, that they deserve to be in the starting XI.

“Tugay, at his age now, is not going to be playing in each and every game, so there is going to be opportunities for the likes of Carlos and Vince to come in and show their worth.

“Hopefully, they can do that – it makes for great competition between the players.”

Emerton added: “The one great thing about the squad this year is that we’ve got strength in depth, especially in the midfield area.

“There’s numerous players that can step in and do a good job.

“If you are not performing for the team, you are then on the bench and someone else is coming in to take your place.”