Dilan Markanday opens up after switch from Tottenham to Blackburn | OneFootball

Winger Dilan Markanday has admitted that the chance to join Blackburn Rovers from Tottenham was too good for him to turn down.

The 20-year-old has joined the Championship promotion hopefuls on a three-and-a-half-year for an undisclosed fee, after coming through the academy ranks at Spurs.

Now it seems as though Markanday is relishing the prospect of being a part of the Ewood Park club over the next few seasons.

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Speaking to Blackburn’s official website after confirmation of his move, Markanday said: “I’m so excited to be able to join such a big club with a great history.

“Hearing of the interest, it was hard to turn down the opportunity. It really was an easy decision to make and a journey that I can’t wait to start.”

During his time with Spurs, the winger made just one senior appearance for the club, as a substitute in a Europa Conference League clash with Vitesse earlier this season.

It was reported that Markanday had turned down a new contract with Spurs in favour of a move elsewhere, in order to boost his prospects of regular first-team football.

That is something that certainly seems to have appealed to Markanday in the procress of making this move.

Discussing the chance of regular football at Blackburn, the winger added: “Every kid wants to play first-team football and this is a real opportunity for me to get my career started. I had a taste of first-team football with Tottenham this season and I just wanted more of it.

“It was a difficult decision to leave Spurs, I’d been there for nine years but the opportunity to come here and help the team was just too big.

“I met some great people during my time with Spurs but I felt it was the right time to get out of my comfort zone, seek first-team football and to take that next step in my career.”

Markanday could make his debut for Rovers on Wednesday night, when they make the trip to the MKM Stadium to face Hull City.

The Verdict

This is certainly good to see from a Blackburn perspective.

Markanday is clearly a hugely promising young player, with the potential to be a big asset for Tony Mowbray’s side in attack, given his impressive goals and assist record.

Indeed, given a Premier League side such as Tottenham were seemingly keen to retain the services of Markanday, completing this deal feels like a coup and statement of intent from Blackburn.

You also feel that the player himself deserves credit here, for going out and having the ambition to try and boost his career prospects, rather than staying at Spirs on a potentially more lucrative new deal, but with fewer chances of first-team football.