Blackburn Rovers must thank Mark Hughes for scarily good transfer deal: View | OneFootball

In January 2005, Mark Hughes made a slightly surprising addition to the Blackburn Rovers' ranks with the announcement that they had signed defender Ryan Nelsen on a free from DC United.

A Premier League side signing a New Zealand international from the MLS probably didn't sound the most exciting to the Rovers faithful, with the MLS not being known as one of the stronger leagues, particularly at that point, and New Zealand are hardly a football powerhouse.

However, any scepticism Blackburn supporters may have had was soon gone, as Nelsen proved himself to be a rock at the back for Rovers, and he played a key role in a successful era for the club.

Not only was Nelsen a powerhouse at the back for Blackburn, but he was a real leader too, and he proved to be a superb signing, especially when you consider he was free.

Ryan Nelsen's time at Blackburn Rovers

After the completion of the 2004 MLS, Nelsen was a free agent after his contract was up at DC United, and Mark Hughes moved quickly to add him to Blackburn's ranks.

It's fair to say that he was an unknown quantity in the English game, but he didn't take long to find his feet at Ewood Park.

He came straight into Mark Hughes' starting XI, and would start 15 Premier League games during the second-half of the 2004/05 season, quickly showing exactly why he was brought to the club with some big performances. He also helped Blackburn make the FA Cup semi-finals, playing five times before being defeated by Arsenal.

He'd go on to become a mainstay in the years that followed and helped Blackburn qualify for the UEFA Cup at the end of the 2005/06 season after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

Despite suffering from injuries, Blackburn remained loyal to Nelsen, and he stayed put at Ewood Park despite Mark Hughes leaving for Manchester City in 2008.

The New Zealander was given the chance to skipper the side for the first time during the 2008/09 season, wearing the armband in a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, and it showed how much the club valued his leadership.

He made his 200th appearance for the club in January 2011 in a 2-0 loss to Chelsea, but Nelsen's injury woes would continue to get worse after this, and this was the beginning of the end of his time at Ewood Park.

He made just one appearance for the club during the 2011/12 season, which came on the second weekend of the season, before suffering a long-term injury which kept him out until February.

The 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in August 2011 was to be his 208th and final appearance in a Blackburn shirt, and he was released early from his contract in the January transfer window.

Ryan Nelsen's career after leaving Blackburn

It's fair to say that Ryan Nelsen landed his feet after leaving Blackburn, and he joined Spurs on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

Blackburn were relegated at the end of the 2011/12 season, and you wonder what sort of impact Nelson could have had on the squad had he not been released.

He made eight appearances in total for Spurs, before reuniting with former boss Mark Hughes at QPR for the 2012/12 season.

He signed a year-long deal at Loftus Road, and was a regular starter for Hughes' side, wearing the captain's armband on a regular basis for the Hoops.

However, in January 2013, Nelsen took up the offer to become MLS side Toronto FC's new head coach, and the game on the 22nd against Manchester City, was his 24th and final appearance for the Hoops before retiring.

This came as a blow for QPR, but with him being out of contract at the end of the season, allowing him to leave a couple of months early to pursue a coaching career made sense.

That spelled the end of Nelsen's playing career, and despite not having a fairytale ending at Ewood Park, the New Zealander will always be fondly remembered by the Blackburn faithful after nearly seven years at the club.