Football League World
·5 September 2023
Football League World
·5 September 2023
Blackburn Rovers have had their fair share of talent at Ewood Park over the years.
The last ten seasons have seen Rovers go from relegation to the third tier to flirting with the Championship play-offs, a far cry from their remarkable Premier League-winning campaign in 1995.
The reality now is a hopeful search for a play-off spot after teetering on the edge of the top six for the past two seasons, missing out to Sunderland on the final day due to goal difference last term.
The hunt for a coveted return to the promised land has seen the club spend significant fees in search of making their dream a reality to varying levels of success.
Such approach has since been adapted with Jon Dahl Tomasson utilising both foreign markets and the wealth of the academy to give his side the edge going into another hotly-contested Championship.
With that said, FLW take a look at the estimated highest paid player from each of the last ten seasons, according to Capology.
After an experienced career in England with the likes of Manchester City, Preston and Fulham, Etuhu joined following the club's recent relegation from the Premier League in 2012.
The former Nigerian international made 20 appearances in his debut campaign, scoring once, before game time significantly declined the following campaign, making three cameos as he went on to join Swedish club AIK.
A hot property at Championship level, Rhodes joined the club back in 2012 and in his third season in Lancashire, continued to deliver the goods.
The Scottish international scored 21 goals with four assists that season as Rovers finished ninth in the second tier. Another 20-goal tally campaign pushed the former Huddersfield Town man past the 70 goal mark at Ewood Park, certainly proving his worth.
A supposed significant increase in wages, Blackburn would only have to pay out a fee anywhere near this level for the first six months of the season before he moved on to Middlesbrough in the winter window.
The move did not stop Rhodes delivering a parting gift, however, scoring ten goals in 25 outings as a prolific spell in Lancashire drew to a close, notching another six on Teesside as Boro secured promotion to the Premier League.
Joining on loan from Swansea City for the season, it was one to forget for the Dutch forward as Blackburn were relegated to the third tier for the first time since the 1970s.
The former Middlesbrough man registered eight goal contributions in 35 appearances for the club and did not stop around for the promotion push the following year, instead seeing out his career with stints in Turkey, USA and Italy.
Blackburn back in the second tier, Rovers signed Kasey Palmer for his fourth loan from Chelsea after two spells with Huddersfield Town and Derby County.
Palmer's time at Blackburn was curtailed after just 14 appearances, scoring once, as he moved on to Bristol City in January for the remainder of the season.
The 26-year-old has since found a permanent home away from Stamford Bridge, now a regular in Mark Robins' side for Coventry City.
An established player at this level with Preston, Cunningham joined Cardiff City the previous year with the Bluebirds in the Premier League. Game time, however, was severely limited, making just seven top-flight appearances as his side were relegated and was subsequently loaned out to Blackburn the following season.
The left-back played eight times from the off, but his campaign was abruptly curtailed due to a cruciate knee injury in October and returned to his parent club in January.
A Southampton academy graduate, Gallagher made the move to Lancashire in 2016 on an initial season-long loan before returning permanently in 2019.
Scoring six times in his first year back, he notched another eight in the 2020/21 campaign as a dependable forward option for Rovers.
The 27-year-old continues to lead the line for Blackburn with his physical and aerial presence a valuable asset for Jon Dahl Tomasson's side.
Ayala arrived in 2020 with a wealth of experience under his belt, amassing around 200 appearances for previous club Middlesbrough.
The Spanish defender was a useful option for Blackburn, playing ten times in his first year for the club before record another 21 appearances in this season as Rovers mounted a play-off push, finishing eighth.
The former Liverpool man departed the club this season, recording more than 50 league appearances in blue and white.
Another loanee, Hirst struggled to make his mark after arriving from Leicester City, despite a respectable innings with League One outfit Portsmouth the previous season.
In nine outings he made just two starts, failing to find the target in front of the Ewood Park faithful.
The 24-year-old has since moved on permanently to Ipswich Town where he is a regular in Kieran McKenna's attacking quartet after scoring six goals in 14 starts for the Tractor Boys last term.
Hyam made the move to Lancashire after a respectable five-season stint in the Midlands with Coventry City.
The defender made around 170 league appearances from League Two to the Championship with the Sky Blues and immediately slotted into the Rovers backline.