ROQUE Santa Cruz believes it could one day become a family affair at Ewood Park as his younger brother Julio continues to suggest a bright future lies ahead.

The Paraguayan siblings may be at very different stages of their careers in Lancashire but in-demand Roque is confident his brother has the talent to follow in his first-team footsteps.

Reserve team boss Iain Brunskill also believes the 18-year-old has got potential, after he scored Rovers’ goal in Monday night’s 1-1 reserves draw with Wigan, but has been quick to dampen any comparisons with Ewood’s fans’ favourite.

Roque, nine years his brother’s senior, said: “It is great to have Julio at Blackburn and I think he has the talent to play for the first team one day, it would be good to play together.

“He has the talent but now it is down to him and how he uses the opportunity. I believe he will work hard and make the most of what he has. He better hurry up though because I am getting old.

“I have also enjoyed getting to know him better because when I left Paraguay for Bayern Munich he was still very young.”

Julio, who had been on trial with Rovers during the summer, moved to Ewood on a three-year deal from Cerro Porteno in his native Paraguay and has since been a regular up front for the reserves.

And Brunskill has been impressed with his performances, saying: “He’s done well and he’s improving all the time.

“Obviously with young players you get that and it’s a little bit more difficult for him adjusting to the country and the style of football, which is obviously a little bit more physical than he has been used to.”

Asked whether Julio might progress to the first team one day, Brunskill said: “It’s difficult to say. He’s only just starting out.

“People will make obvious comparisons to his brother but they’re not really that similar.

“They’re different players and I think it’s unfair to make that comparison really.

“But he’s working hard and he’s improving, and you never know in the future.”