BLACKBURN Rovers defender Lars Jacobsen is keen to celebrate his 30th birthday in style by proving his credentials to old club Everton tomorrow.

Jacobsen returns to Goodison Park for the first time since leaving the Toffees in the summer, and is eager to help Rovers end a run of six straight league defeats away from home with a result on his birthday.

The right back, who is expected to retain his place in Sam Allardyce’s starting line-up, saw his 12 months at Goodison hampered by a long-term shoulder injury and is now determined to belatedly show the Everton fans what he is capable of.

“Of course,” said the Dane, who will become a father in the next few weeks. “I was a bit frustrated because you get to a new club and you can’t prove anything because you are unable to play.

“You have to be disappointed when you’re only there for a week and then you start off with a bad injury. I was unable to play for eight months.

“When you have your back against the wall and you’re trying to get back all season, you won’t reach your top level and I didn’t. That’s normal.

“I think I did play some good games but you’re not pleased when you look back and you’ve only played five games during the whole season.

“You really want to go out there and prove you can do something and help the team, so of course when you look back it was a horrible year.

“But at the same time it was a great football club and I really enjoyed staying there despite my injury. I can’t complain about anything.

“We were talking about a new contract but we couldn’t agree on the length of the contract so I decided not to stay.

“We were talking about a year but I wanted to get a bit more security in my life because I’m going to be a dad in a couple of weeks’ time. I got that here so I’m pleased with that.

“It’s going to be exciting tomorrow and it’s on my birthday as well, so it’s a big day for me.”

Jacobsen made so little impact at Everton that it was perhaps no surprise that even his appearance in the FA Cup Final against Chelsea was overlooked by one of the enquiring press pack at Brockhall.

Asked whether he had travelled to Wembley, the former Nuremberg player laughed: “I played the second half, so I did travel!

“I have to thank the manager and the club for letting me play in a cup final. There’s not a lot of people who can do that.

“Even though we lost, it is something I will always remember.”

And Jacobsen, a regular in the Denmark team that is just one win away from qualifying for the World Cup, knows he has to continue his impressive start to life at Ewood to fend off competition from Michel Salgado for the right back spot.

“Of course he’s a big player and a big name,” said the defender, who has already played only two less games for Rovers than he did in his entire season at Everton.

“You always have to have competition in the squad, especially when you’re playing in the Premier League.

“If you decide you want to be a Premier League player you have to be capable of handling that.

“I only say he’s a great lad and a great player, so I hope I can learn something from him as well.

“And every player knows if you’re not performing well you’re not in the team. That’s the way it should be.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re goalkeeper, right back or centre forward, you have to perform all the time otherwise you are out.”

Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that there is a possibility that Zurab Khizanishvili’s loan move to Newcastle could become permanent, while saying he does not expect any more players to leave on temporary deals now.

Newcastle fended off competition from Sheffield United to sign Khizanishvili for three months.

Rovers are considering whether to revive their interest in Derry midfielder Darren McCauley in January after being unable to complete a deal before the closure of the transfer wnidow.

The club have appointed 52-year-old former Everton head of recruitment Phil Cannon as their new Academy manager as a replacement for Bobby Downes, who left in July.