JASON Lowe insists Blackburn Rovers are in safe hands under caretaker boss Eric Black after describing Steve Kean’s resignation on Friday night as a “massive shock”.

Rovers’ academy product revealed a team meeting was called at their London hotel, halfway through their dinner, for Kean to announce he was stepping down as manager.

The 21-year-old declined to comment on the board’s search for a successor but was adamant that Black had the full respect of every player as he takes the reigns temporarily.

Black, who was Kean’s assistant, looks certain to be at the helm for Wednesday’s trip to Nottingham Forest and Saturday’s home clash with Wolves, with Lowe just looking forward to ‘getting on with the job’.

He said: “It is not for me to say anything about the appointment. My job is to play football and to try to help this football club get results. “The long term goal is to get promotion and that is all that I am focused on.

“The next manager who comes in, whoever that may be, I will work as hard and I’m sure the other lads will be fully committed as well.

“Eric is certainly a fantastic coach. He has got a great presence about him and his enthusiasm is infectious on the training field.

“Whoever they appoint, I am sure it will be the right choice and all the lads will get behind him.

“Until that decision is made the club is absolutely in safe hands with Eric.”

Kean had been under heavy pressure as Rovers boss for months and it is understood owners Venky’s had already decided the Scot had no long term managerial future at Ewood Park.

His departure could have come as no surprise to anyone but, having stated he would not walk away just hours earlier, the manner of his exit stunned everyone.

“We were halfway through our dinner on Friday night and a meeting was called,” said Lowe. “We had an idea then. It was not very nice, it was a horrible way to do it.

“But when that happens you can’t dwell on it. We get on with our job.

“For me it was unexpected the way it happened, the night before a game. But nothing surprises me within football. It was a shock on Friday night but as professional footballers you have to respond and do your job.

“Personally he has brought me into the team, let me express myself and I will always be grateful to him for that.

“He was a good guy.”