Blackburn Rovers Football Club News

• Nickname:Rovers
• Founded:1875
• Manager:Steve Kean

• Ground:Ewood Park
• Capacity:31,367

Ince pledges to keep stars

24 Jun 2008 - 13:01:53

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Newly-installed Blackburn Rovers boss Paul Ince has pledged to keep the club's best players at Ewood Park.

Ince was unveiled as Mark Hughes' successor on a three-year contract on Tuesday and immediately spelled out his intentions to keep hold of prize assets David Bentley and Roque Santa Cruz.

Earlier in the month, England international Bentley revealed his desire to move on after two years at Ewood Park, while Paraguay striker Santa Cruz has been linked with £10million moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

Ince, who has taken the reins after leaving League One side MK Dons, said: "I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into it and I want to keep my best players, David Bentley and Santa Cruz among them.

"We don't start (pre-season training) until July 7 so I'll speak to those two players and to the rest of them and take it from there."

Ince also believes he can continue his predecessor's record of keeping Rovers on an upward path and amongst the top half of the Premier League.

Blackburn finished seventh last season and narrowly avoided securing UEFA Cup football for the new campaign.

"Mark Hughes has done a fantastic job and stabilised the club and now it is down to me to improve that," Ince continued.

"I am not scared of many things and there is no fear factor coming to Blackburn. It is exciting coming here."

Meanwhile, Rovers chairman John Williams has revealed that Ince is contractually obliged to earn his UEFA Pro Licence.

Williams secured special dispensation to name a manager who does not have the required qualification to work in the Premier League, but Ince will have to complete the course as part of his employment.

"I would say that they rightly made us work very hard to get Paul and we had to give certain undertakings because, quite clearly, he didn't meet the requirements of the rule," revealed Williams.

"Paul has signed a contract with Blackburn where that undertaking is a contractual term.

"It's not something we'll just try and get done. He's under contract to Blackburn that he will complete that time frame and we in turn have given that to the Premier League."