MIKE Newell says he still regards his time at Blackburn Rovers as the highlight of his playing career, and has backed Sam Allardyce to continue guiding the club in the right direction next season.

Newell was the man who secured Rovers’ promotion to the top flight at Wembley in 1992 when he scored the only goal of the play-off final against Leicester from the penalty spot, and was then part of the squad that won the Premier League title three years later.

The striker spent five happy years at Ewood Park and has been impressed by Rovers’ progress since Allardyce took over 18 months ago.

“Obviously playing for Blackburn was the best time of my career,” said the 45-year-old, who scored 48 goals in five years at Ewood Park.

“Basically for four or five years we were winning every week.

“To come into the dressing room on a Monday morning when you’re winning and there’s a fantastic atmosphere, there’s nothing better as a professional footballer.

“And, for me, to win the league was the culmination of everything.

“It was just four or five fantastic years.

“It’s great to see them safe and secure for next year, and quite comfortably so as well.

“I saw them at the back end of the season and obviously Sam’s sides are so well organised and a threat from set pieces.

“I’m sure once he gets his feet under the table he’ll be able to add a little bit more quality here and there.”

Rovers had the likes of Newell, Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton and Kevin Gallacher on their books when they won the title but are currently searching for a striker after struggling for goals up front in recent times.

Newell said: “I think any successful side needs good strikers and particularly in the Premier League. That’s the difference.

“But all of Sam’s sides are well organised and if he can just add a little bit of quality here and there, as he did at Bolton, then he’ll have a chance of getting them even higher.

“He’s got a proven record and after Blackburn fighting for so many years against relegation, it’s important he does get them stabilised and in a comfortable position.”

Newell still holds the record for the fastest Champions League hat-trick, scored in just nine minutes in Rovers’ dead rubber victory at home to Rosenborg in 1995.

Lionel Messi came close to challenging the record two months ago, only for his third to eventually come a tardy 21 minutes after his first in the annihilation of Arsenal at the Nou Camp.

“Everybody mentions that record and remembers me for it,” said Newell, who left his job as manager of Grimsby in October.

“But there were a lot more important goals I scored in my time at Blackburn than that.

“It’s nice that it hasn’t been broken and it should last for so long, but I’m more proud of some of the other goals.”

When Shearer was linked with the Rovers manager’s job following the departure of Mark Hughes two years ago, there was speculation that Newell was being lined up as his assistant.

Asked whether that had been a possibility at the time, Newell seemed startled to be mentioned in connection with any job at Rovers.

“It never got to that stage,” he said.

“I’m not sure how close Alan got to taking that job or whether they came to offering him the job.

“But until anything like that happens there was no point talking about it.”