BRETT Emerton insists there is life at Ewood Park after Roque Santa Cruz as he tips a new-look Rovers to revive a European push this season.

Blackburn Rovers’ Australian midfielder is relishing an expected summer of change over the next couple of months, claiming the platform for a top half finish had already been laid towards the end of last campaign.

Santa Cruz’s big-money departure to Manchester City earlier this week has left some Rovers fans concerned about their lack of firepower, especially after Matt Derbyshire completed his £3million switch to Greek side Olympiakos yesterday.

But, with money to spend at Ewood, Emerton is far from concerned ahead of the forthcoming pre-season as he points to last season’s Sam Allardyce-inspired great escape as proof Rovers have never been a ‘one man team’.

Emerton himself has revealed he still hopes to be involved in the Premier League kick off at home to Manchester City on August 15, as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, pointing to the return of Rovers’ walking wounded as further reason for optimism.

He said: “Roque has been fantastic for Blackburn Rovers. He is a great player and a great guy and we will miss him. But these things happen in football, players come and players go.

“If you look at how the team finished last season, they did it without the injured Roque and without Matt Derbyshire.

"You also had players like myself, Steven Reid and David Dunn who were injured.

“I am sure the squad will be full of confidence at the way we finished the season, it was European form, and with players coming back and a few new signings it will be like a new start.

“We are all just looking forward to a new season and getting ourselves back into that top half of Premier League, where we all believe Blackburn belong.”

Emerton, who has been out of action since injuring his cruciate ligament at Middlesbrough in January, is already running and doing ball work as he continues his rehabilitation.

He is hopeful of being involved in the start of pre-season training in some capacity and is refusing to rule out being fully fit for the season opener against Santa Cruz’s new employers.

With last season’s Premier League struggle still a painful memory for Rovers and a World Cup on the horizon for the majority of Allardyce’s squad, Emerton knows the next 12 months will be huge collectively and individually.

He said: “With a lot of players also playing to get into a World Cup squad, it does add some spice to the season. You always try your best but there is that extra incentive in the back of your mind.

“We all want to show what happened at Rovers last season was a one-off anyway.

"If we can get a good start I don’t see why we shouldn’t be aiming for the top half and even Europe.

“The start is important because the margins in the Premier League are so small nowadays. A good start and your season can be set.”