Igor Tyjon and Nicholas Michalski could save Blackburn Rovers millions in transfer fees | OneFootball

The youth duo could become key parts of John Eustace's first team in the years to come

Blackburn Rovers have impressed in the Championship so far this season, but are not able to spend huge amounts of money to try and win promotion to the Premier League, so they often look to utilise their academy to fill gaps in their senior squad and progress youngsters into first-team ready players.

Rovers are currently chasing a play-off place in the second-tier under John Eustace, and he has seen fit to use numerous club academy products to further their progress this term.

The likes of Hayden Carter, Joe Rankin-Costello, Lewis Travis, John Buckley and Harry Leonard are all previous Blackburn youth players that have played their part in the senior squad in seasons gone by and this term, while both Joe Hilton and Scott Wharton are also in the first-team squad after graduating from the academy.

Wharton's brother, Adam, is probably Rovers' most high-profile academy graduate of recent years, after he experienced a rapid rise through the first-team at Ewood Park to be sold on to Crystal Palace for £18m last year.

His development has shown that there is a clear pathway for youngsters at the club to make their name at Ewood Park in the coming years, and here at Football League World, we have identified two players that could save Blackburn millions in the future by progressing through to the first-team soon.

Igor Tyjon

Young striker Igor Tyjon has been with Rovers for just over 18 months now, after he joined their youth set-up from Rochdale in July 2023 despite being linked with moves to Premier League sides Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 16-year-old featured in some first-team matchday squads in the Championship throughout last season while consistently bagging goals in the youth team, and he committed his future to the club last summer by signing a two-year scholarship contract, amid interest from a host of top sides, including Manchester United.

Tyjon has seen his stock rise even further so far this season, as he made his senior debut for the club as a late substitute against Bristol City in September to become the third-youngest player in the club's history, with clear proof that John Eustace is aware of his talents and has a plan to progress him into the senior squad over the coming months and years.

He has since appeared on Eustace's bench three times in both league and cup, while scoring regularly in the Premier League 2 for Mike Sheron's under-21 side. Youth boss Sheron has recently sung his praises to the Lancashire Telegraph, and admitted that he hopes he gets more first-team opportunities soon.

Nicholas Michalski

Fellow Rovers youth product Nicholas Michalski is a highly-rated young goalkeeper who has been on the books at Ewood Park since under-12 level.

The 17-year-old was previously at Stoke City, but it is Blackburn who look set to benefit from his talents over the years to come, as he has represented England at under-15s, under-16s and under-18s level so far.

Similarly to academy teammate Tyjon, Michalski appeared on the first-team bench on numerous occasions last season following an injury to Aynsley Pears in March, but he is yet to make his senior bow as yet, as it is understandably tough to give a teenage keeper a chance at such a high level.

After signing his first professional contract that same month, he has progressed this season to play at senior level for non-league sides Bamber Bridge and City of Liverpool, but has since returned to Rovers to feature in FA Youth Cup action.

Michalski's latest senior milestone came just after the turn of this year, as he put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with the club to tie his future at Ewood Park down until 2027.

The 17-year-old shot-stopper is tipped for a very bright future after already being involved in the first-team and regularly training with senior players, and he could well be the answer to any issues they encounter in between the sticks over the next few years.