List of Blackburn Rovers F.C. players explained

Blackburn Rovers Football Club was founded in 1875, first entered the FA Cup four years later, and became a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and of the Premier League in 1992. The club's first team have been English champions three times, and have won six FA Cups, one Football League Cup and one Full Members' Cup. All players who have made 100 or more appearances in nationally or internationally organised competitive matches for the club should be listed below.

Each player's details include the duration of his Rovers career, his typical playing position while with the club, and the number of games played and goals scored in domestic league matches and in all senior competitive matches. Where applicable, the list also includes the national team(s) for which the player was selected.

Key

• Players are listed in chronological order according to the year in which they first played for the club, and then by alphabetical order of their surname.
• Appearances as a substitute are included.
• Statistics are correct up to and including the end of the 2023–24 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season.

Positions key

GK	Goalkeeper
DF	Defender
FB	Full back
CD	Central defender
MF	Midfielder
CH	Centre half
WH	Wing half
W	Winger
FW	Forward
IF	Inside forward
CF	Centre forward
U	Utility player

Players with 100 or more appearances

Table of players, including playing position, club statistics and international selection

scope=col rowspan=2	Player	scope=col rowspan=2		scope=col rowspan=2	Club career	scope=col colspan=2	League	scope=col colspan=2	Total	scope=col rowspan=2	International selection	scope=col rowspan=2 class=unsortable	Notes	scope=col rowspan=2 class=unsortable
scope=col data-sort-type=number	Apps	scope=col data-sort-type=number	Goals	scope=col data-sort-type=number	Apps	scope=col data-sort-type=number	Goals
scope=row		WH	1883–1895	148	2	195	7	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF/GK	1884–1893	110	37	139	49	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CF	1887–1893	108	97	132	121	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1887–1892 1893–1894	97	37	123	51	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1888–1894	106	1	127	2	—
scope=row		FB	1889–1891 1893–1900	216	2	245	2	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF	1889–1894	98	22	113	26	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CH/WH	1889–1897	174	7	196	10	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1891–1897	134	50	147	52	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CH	1892–1897 1898–1900	178	19	200	20	—	^[1]
scope=row		FB	1892–1896	109	0	122	0	—
scope=row		GK	1893–1897	108	0	120	0	—
scope=row		WH	1896–1900	111	10	123	11	style=text-align:left
scope=row		WH	1896–1902 1906–1909	151	2	163	2	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1897–1920	529	14	576	14	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1898–1905	192	25	206	31	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CH/WH	1898–1903	122	5	129	5	—
scope=row		CF	1899–1903	169	43	182	47	—
scope=row		CH	1899–1906	144	12	152	12	—
scope=row		W	1899–1908	250	57	265	57	—
scope=row		GK	1901–1908	126	0	132	0	—
scope=row		FW	1903–1907	99	42	104	43	—
scope=row		WH	1903–1920	386	36	426	39	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1903–1908	104	0	113	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		WH	1904–1908	98	1	105	2	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1905–1919	278	0	305	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CF	1905–1912	132	67	143	70	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF/HB	1906–1915	210	75	239	95	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF	1906–1915	256	94	281	104	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1907–1915	103	0	110	0	—
scope=row		WH	1907–1920	272	6	300	6	—
scope=row		W	1908–1914	149	11	164	14	—
scope=row		GK	1908–1913	114	0	129	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CH/CF	1908–1910 1911–1915	138	34	152	42	—
scope=row		CH	1910–1920	172	5	193	6	—
scope=row		GK	1911–1920	144	0	157	0	—
scope=row		W	1911–1915	151	15	169	22	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1913–1923	228	19	244	20	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF	1913–1920	97	62	105	65	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CF	1914–1923	140	71	151	73	—
scope=row		IF	1919–1924	96	34	100	34	—
scope=row		WH/CH	1919–1932	360	12	397	13	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1919–1928	116	24	125	25	—
scope=row		CH	1919–1923	127	8	138	9	—
scope=row		FB	1919–1926	207	5	225	6	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1920–1927	227	0	248	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF	1921–1927	150	46	161	49	style=text-align:left
scope=row		WH	1921–1926	111	0	124	0	—
scope=row		FB	1921–1925	174	0	191	0	—
scope=row		IF/WH	1922–1927	175	38	194	38	—
scope=row		WH	1923–1929	161	7	184	9	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1923–1926	98	18	108	19	—
scope=row		CF	1923–1927 1933–1934	171	121	177	122	style=text-align:left
scope=row		WH/FW	1923–1932	223	37	251	44	—
scope=row		FB	1924–1930	114	0	128	0	—
scope=row		GK	1925–1932	155	0	173	0	—
scope=row		IF	1925–1932	250	79	276	87	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1925–1929	156	41	169	44	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1926–1932	127	4	146	5	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1926–1933	247	0	261	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF	1927–1935	247	44	275	49	—
scope=row		CH	1927–1932	144	4	162	4	—
scope=row		W	1929–1938	324	108	344	115	style=text-align:left
scope=row		WH	1929–1934	165	23	176	24	—
scope=row		W	1929–1936	113	24	115	24	—
scope=row		GK	1930–1936	183	0	196	0	—
scope=row		CH	1930–1936	143	2	146	2	—
scope=row		W	1930–1933	129	47	140	55	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1931–1937	213	0	225	0	—
scope=row		CF	1931–1936	171	82	179	84	—
scope=row		FB	1932–1947	218	2	237	2	style=text-align:left	wartime
scope=row		CH	1933–1949	320	11	345	11	—
scope=row		WH	1933–1949	218	3	239	3	—
scope=row		IF	1937–1946	110	44	117	48	—
scope=row		W	1938–1948 1953–1956	212	57	230	58	style=text-align:left
scope=row		WH	1946–1956	323	9	333	9	—
scope=row		U	1946–1955	224	19	245	20	—
scope=row		GK	1946–1956	107	0	112	0	—
scope=row		FW	1947–1952	150	42	157	44	—
scope=row		FB	1947–1953	107	5	111	5	—
scope=row		IF	1948–1957	287	73	302	74	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1948–1960	406	20	432	21	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1948–1952	129	15	138	17	—
scope=row		FB/CH	1949–1955	176	0	187	0	—
scope=row		WH	1951–1969	581	15	665	16	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1951–1956	192	0	208	0	—
scope=row		CH	1951–1956	186	1	202	1	—
scope=row		IF	1951–1956	159	92	166	95	—
scope=row		CF	1952–1957	194	140	204	143	style=text-align:left	England B
scope=row		U	1952–1960	119	10	128	12	—
scope=row		FW	1954–1969	438	101	503	115	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1954–1969	200	0	233	0	—
scope=row		IF	1955–1960	131	49	144	52	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1956–1961	179	88	205	104	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1956–1961	166	0	188	0	—
scope=row		W	1956–1961	193	47	218	53	style=text-align:left	Scottish Schools
scope=row		WH	1956–1965	268	8	312	12	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CH	1956–1963	260	2	307	3	—
scope=row		FB	1959–1965	153	2	184	2	—
scope=row		CH	1959–1966	165	21	184	21	style=text-align:left
scope=row		IF/WH	1959–1967	183	89	213	103	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CF	1959–1964 1971	134	61	158	74	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1960–1969	306	9	357	10	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1961–1966	124	50	149	64	—
scope=row		GK	1961–1966	187	0	221	0	—
scope=row		W	1962–1968	220	29	249	36	—
scope=row		W	1962–1967	160	40	181	43	—
scope=row		MF	1964–1967	120	4	135	4	—
scope=row		CD	1964–1971	141	4	151	4	—
scope=row		FW	1965–1970	128	30	141	34	—
scope=row		MF	1965–1971	165	30	183	39	style=text-align:left
scope=row		WH/CH	1965–1969	103	5	113	5	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1965–1971	247	0	277	0	—
scope=row		W	1966–1970	149	36	164	39	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1967–1970	96	0	110	0	—
scope=row		CF	1968–1975	224	57	255	63	—		^[2]
scope=row		MF	1968–1980 1983	387	21	451	26	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1970–1976	242	0	277	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	1970–1981	350	38	409	46	—
scope=row		FB	1970–1978	148	2	170	4	—
scope=row		MF/DF	1971–1974	94	3	108	3	—
scope=row		CD	1971–1986	596	24	689	26	—
scope=row		FW	1971–1974	106	45	120	54	—
scope=row		MF	1971–1974	90	6	103	7	—
scope=row		FB	1971–1976	171	1	194	1	—
scope=row		CD/MF	1973–1979	148	18	175	20	—
scope=row		FW	1974–1976	86	18	104	28	—
scope=row		CD	1974–1977	109	4	131	4	—
scope=row		MF/FB	1974–1979	132	20	160	21	—
scope=row		FB	1975–1979	120	1	144	1	style=text-align:left	England B
scope=row		CH	1976–1987	370	23	431	24	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1977–1987	317	40	381	54	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1977–1980	104	0	122	0	—
scope=row		CF	1978–1992	484	168	570	194	—
scope=row		FB	1979–1987	294	5	338	5	—
scope=row		FB	1979–1987	273	2	310	2	—
scope=row		CF/MF	1980–1986	141	14	156	16	—
scope=row		GK	1981–1990	289	0	334	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	1981–1986	114	7	123	7	—
scope=row		W	1981–1989	268	16	305	18	—
scope=row		CD	1982–1990	206	4	248	4	—
scope=row		MF	1983–1988	182	35	208	41	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1983–1988	101	20	115	22	—
scope=row		CF	1983–1986	85	24	100	26	—
scope=row		MF	1986–1992	202	35	245	41	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1987–1991	116	29	144	34	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CD	1987–1989 1991–1998	336	34	408	35	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CD	1987–1992	96	4	113	5	—
scope=row		FB/MF	1987–1991	126	1	151	1	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	1987 1991–1995	134	0	162	0	style=text-align:left		^[3]
scope=row		MF	1987–1992	174	9	209	10	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1987–1991	134	3	156	3	—
scope=row		FB/MF	1988–1995	257	34	314	39	—
scope=row		CD	1989–1994	123	2	151	5	—
scope=row		CD	1990–1994	147	10	173	12	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1990–1999	269	31	312	34	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1991–1996	130	28	167	48	style=text-align:left	England B		^[4]
scope=row		W	1992–1998	187	13	228	16	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1992–1996	138	112	171	130	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	1992–1999	246	25	300	31	style=text-align:left		^[5]	^[6]
scope=row		DF	1993–1997 2000–2003	250	7	296	7	style=text-align:left		^[7]	^[8]
scope=row		GK	1993–1999	177	0	217	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1993–1999	144	46	169	53	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1993–1997	129	7	154	7	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1994–1999	130	47	161	59	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FB	1995–2001	155	1	194	1	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	1995–1999	90	3	103	4	style=text-align:left			^[9]
scope=row		MF	1996–2005	246	14	280	20	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1997–2003	184	27	223	35	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	1998–2003 2007–2015	316	50	378	59	style=text-align:left
scope=row		W	1998–2003	113	5	137	6	style=text-align:left
scope=row		CD	1998–2004	88	5	125	6	style=text-align:left
scope=row		FW	1999–2005	153	44	182	57	style=text-align:left			^[10]
scope=row		DF	1999–2005	134	4	146	5	—
scope=row		GK	2000–2008	288	1	357	1	style=text-align:left			^[11]
scope=row		DF	2001–2005	86	0	110	2	style=text-align:left			^[12]
scope=row		MF	2001–2009	233	10	294	12	style=text-align:left			^[13]
scope=row		DF/MF	2001–2007	188	5	227	8	style=text-align:left			^[14]
scope=row		FW	2002–2004	83	27	100	37	style=text-align:left			^[15]
scope=row		DF	2002–2007	88	4	113	5	—
scope=row		W	2003–2011	247	13	294	19	style=text-align:left			^[16] ^[17]
scope=row		MF	2003–2010	113	6	134	8			^[18] ^[19]
scope=row		MF	2004–2013	288	35	349	47	style=text-align:left			^[20]
scope=row		MF	2005–2008 2013	107	13	140	21	style=text-align:left			^[21] ^[22]
scope=row		DF	2005–2009	101	0	139	2	style=text-align:left			^[23]
scope=row		DF	2005–2011	172	8	208	8	style=text-align:left			^[24]
scope=row		MF	2005–2007	76	1	100	3	style=text-align:left			^[25]
scope=row		FW	2006–2010	109	37	140	52	style=text-align:left			^[26]
scope=row		FW	2006–2011	134	24	156	28	style=text-align:left			^[27]
scope=row		DF/MF	2007–2013	117	3	142	5	style=text-align:left			^[28]
scope=row		CD	2007–2011	161	16	185	18	style=text-align:left			^[29]
scope=row		DF/MF	2007–2009	88	5	109	6	style=text-align:left			^[30]
scope=row		GK	2008–2014	189	0	201	0	style=text-align:left			^[31]
scope=row		DF	2009 2009–2013	115	3	132	5	style=text-align:left			^[32] ^[33]
scope=row		DF	2009–2016	183	7	200	8	style=text-align:left			^[34]
scope=row		DF	2011–2014	98	5	106	7	style=text-align:left			^[35]
scope=row		MF	2011–2017	173	1	196	1	style=text-align:left			^[36]
scope=row		DF	2012–2016	104	1	114	1	style=text-align:left			^[37]
scope=row		FW	2012–2016	159	83	169	85	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	2013–2021	206	4	219	5	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	2013–2017	126	11	140	15	style=text-align:left			^[38]
scope=row		MF	2014–2019	178	19	200	22	style=text-align:left			^[39]
scope=row		GK	2014–2017	113	0	120	0			^[40]
scope=row		DF	2015–2022	233	9	252	10	style=text-align:left			^[41]
scope=row		DF	2015–2022	183	0	201	0	style=text-align:left			^[42]
scope=row		GK	2015–2019	98	0	108	0	style=text-align:left			^[43]
scope=row	*	FW	2016–2017 2019–present	219	45	235	49		^[44]	^[45]
scope=row		MF	2016–2021	177	8	192	9	—
scope=row		FW	2016 2016–2020	176	52	191	57	style=text-align:left		^[46]	^[47]
scope=row		DF	2016–2019	100	27	109	27	style=text-align:left
scope=row		DF	2016–2020	138	6	152	6	style=text-align:left
scope=row		MF	2017–2023	158	50	173	57	—		^[48]
scope=row	*	DF	2017–present	200	6	224	6	—
scope=row		FW	2018–2021	151	58	160	64	style=text-align:left		^[49]	^[50]
scope=row		FW	2018–2023	160	45	177	47		^[51]	^[52] ^[53]
scope=row		MF	2018–2022	149	10	161	11	style=text-align:left
scope=row	*	MF	2019–present	124	6	141	9	—
scope=row	*	FW	2020–present	148	16	164	19	style=text-align:left
scope=row		GK	2020–2023	115	0	118	0	style=text-align:left
scope=row	*	DF	2021–present	108	4	120	4	—
scope=row	*	DF	2016–present	89	5	106	8	—
scope=row	*	MF	2017–present	86	4	100	5	—

Notes

Player statistics include games played while on loan from clubs listed below. Unless individually sourced, loaning clubs come from the appearances source.

Sources

• Book: Jackman, Mike . Blackburn Rovers The Official Encyclopedia . Breedon Books . Derby . 1994 . 978-1-873626-70-2.
• Book: Hugman . Barry J. . The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2005–2006 . Mainstream . Edinburgh . 2005 . 978-1-85291-662-6.
• Book: Hugman . Barry J. . The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2007–08 . Mainstream . Edinburgh . 2007 . 978-1-84596-246-3.

Notes and References

1. [New Brighton Tower F.C.|New Brighton Tower]
2. .
3. [Everton F.C.|Everton]
4. Web site: England – International Results B-Team – Details . Courtney . Barrie . 21 March 2004 . . 29 April 2015.
5. [Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]
6. For FA Cup appearance omitted by worldfootball.net: News: 'We'll keep on battling' promises Hendry . Lancashire Telegraph . 18 January 1996 . 31 January 2023.
7. [Manchester United]
8. News: 'Rejected' Berg is embraced by Ewood . Alan . Nixon . The Independent . London . 9 September 2000 . 7 January 2023.
9. Web site: Billy McKinlay . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
10. Individual player pages linked from: Web site: Blackburn Rovers: Players from A–Z . worldfootball.net . 10 May 2024 . HeimSpiel Medien . 2 July 2023.
11. Web site: Brad Friedel . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 6 January 2023.
12. Web site: Nils-Eric Johansson . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
13. Web site: Tugay Kerimoğlu . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
14. Web site: Lucas Neill . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
15. Web site: Andrew Cole . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
16. Web site: Brett Emerton . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
17. News: Brett Emerton: For the love of the game . ABC Sport . 6 April 2006 . 12 January 2023 . Brett Emerton went against the trend for most of the world's football stars when he reportedly turned down offers from bigger clubs so he could play in his preferred position of wing with Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League..
18. Web site: Steven Reid . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
19. Web site: Steven Reid . Blackburn Rovers F.C. . https://web.archive.org/web/20080516204409/http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10303~9124,00.html . 16 May 2008 . Steven has played a number of positions for Rovers since signing in 2003 but has recently settled down in a central midfield berth.
20. Web site: Morten Gamst Pedersen . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
21. [Tottenham Hotspur]
22. Web site: David Bentley . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
23. Web site: Aaron Mokoena . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
24. Web site: Ryan Nelsen . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
25. Web site: Robbie Savage . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
26. Web site: Benni McCarthy . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
27. Web site: Jason Roberts . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
28. Web site: Martin Olsson . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
29. Web site: Christopher Samba . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
30. Web site: Stephen Warnock . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
31. Web site: Paul Robinson . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
32. [Olympique Marseille]
33. Web site: Gael Givet . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
34. Web site: Grant Hanley . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
35. Web site: Scott Dann . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 7 January 2023.
36. Web site: Jason Lowe . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 31 March 2024.
37. Web site: Marcus Olsson . 11v11.com . AFS Enterprises . 31 March 2024.
38. Web site: B. Marshall . Soccerway . Perform Group . 6 January 2023.
39. Web site: C. Conway . Soccerway . Perform Group . 6 January 2023.
40. Web site: J. Steele . Soccerway . Perform Group . 6 January 2023.
41. Web site: D. Lenihan . Soccerway . Perform Group . 6 January 2023.
42. Web site: R. Nyambe . Soccerway . Perform Group . 12 January 2023.
43. Web site: David Raya . Soccerway . Perform Group . 12 January 2023.
44. [Southampton F.C.|Southampton]
45. Web site: Samuel Gallagher . Scottish Football Association . 6 January 2023.
46. [Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]
47. Web site: Match results Under 20 1981–2019 . England Football Online . Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood . 6 January 2023.
48. Web site: B. Dack . Soccerway . Perform Group . 2 July 2023.
49. [Newcastle United]
50. Web site: A. Armstrong . Soccerway . Perform Group . 7 January 2023.
51. [Nottingham Forest]
52. Web site: B. Brereton . Soccerway . Perform Group . 2 July 2023.
53. News: Ben Brereton joins Rovers permanently from Nottingham Forest . Rich . Sharpe . Lancashire Telegraph . 4 January 2019 . 7 January 2023.