The best Blackburn Rovers XI using players since the year 2000 ft Damien Duff (List) | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Blackburn Rovers have had a long list of great players in the club's history, particularly in the last twenty to thirty years as the club endured long spells in the Premier League as well as forays into European competition.

The club haven't been in the top flight since relegation in 2012, and therefore look back at a number of players from bygone times with great fondness.

Toby Wilding

GK - Brad Friedel

The American joined Rovers in November 2000, and was an immediate success in helping the club return to the Premier League, where he stayed for the remainder of his career.

During seven top-flight seasons at Ewood Park, Friedel made 261 League appearances, and was named Man of the Match in Rovers' Worthington Cup Final victory over Tottenham in 2002. He also won Blackburn's Player of the Year award in 2002/03, keeping fifteen clean sheets.

He also became the second ever goalkeeper at the time of his equalising goal at Charlton in February 2004.

He would leave for Aston Villa in 2008, before becoming one of the first seven inductees into Rovers' hall of fame in 2019.

RB - Míchel Salgado

The Spaniard moved to Ewood Park from Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, after impressing Sam Allardyce whilst on trial.

The former member of Madrid's 'Galacticos' side made his debut away to Wolves on September 12th, before scoring his first goal in a 5-2 League Cup win over Peterborough.

The following season he featured 36 times in the league, before only appearing nine times in Rovers' relegation season, taking his total for the club to 73 appearances.

CB's - Chris Samba / Ryan Nelsen

Samba joined Rovers in January 2007, and instantly slotted alongside Nelsen in the centre of Mark Hughes' defence as the club continued it's time as an established Premier League team, scoring twice in his first fourteen appearances.

He established himself as a key man in Rovers' defence over time, featuring in every league game until the December of the 07/08 season through suspension and compassionate leave.

During Sam Allardyce's tenure, interest in Samba grew but he and the manager dismissed these rumours, and in total the Congo international would make 185 appearances at Ewood Park, before returning as an Academy Coach in 2021.

Alongside him is the New Zealander Nelson, who was at the Lancashire club between January 2005 and January 2012. In his first full season, Nelsen helped Rovers qualify for the UEFA Cup, finishing 6th, just four points outside the top 4.

The following year he would sign a five-year deal, keeping him at Ewood Park until 2012. He scored a vital goal in a 2-0 victory over Wigan in April 2009, ensuring Rovers' Premier League survival.

He made his 200th appearance for the club on January 15th 2011 away to Chelsea, but left the following winter window to join Tottenham Hotspur

LB - Stephen Warnock

Warnock joined Blackburn in January 2007 from Liverpool, making his debut in a 4-0 FA Cup win at Luton Town, before scoring his first goal for the club against Portsmouth the following month.

Warnock would only miss two Premier League games across his two full seasons at Ewood Park, with the 2008/09 season also representing the best scoring season of his career.

However, in August 2009 he would join Aston Villa, where he would score in Villa's 6-4 victory against his old club in the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final. Overall , Warnock played 109 times for Blackburn

RW - Damien Duff

The Irishman began his career in Lancashire, eventually breaking into the first team in 1997, named as Man of the Match on his debut against Leicester City.

He would also feature heavily in Rovers' return to the top flight after a two-year hiatus, before being named as Player of the Year in 2001/02 where the club won the League Cup.

The following season he finished as top scorer with 11 strikes, helping the club to sixth and therefore a UEFA Cup place, before being sold to Chelsea for £17m.

CM's - David Dunn / Tugay

Local boy David Dunn was synonymous with Blackburn's time in the top-flight, with two spells at his boyhood club.

He made his debut for the club on September 26th 1998 against Everton, before recording his first goal in a 3-1 victory against Aston Villa on February 6th 1999. Dunn made the most appearances during any of his seasons at Blackburn during the club's promotion winning campaign in 2000/01, and despite regular football the following season , he moved to Birmingham City for £5.5m.

He returned in January 2007, and was named winner of the club's Special Club Award in his first full season back in 2007/08. Dunn's 200th club appearance against Hull City was overshadowed by an Achilles injury.

Dunn would endear himself further to fans in 2009/10, scoring an equaliser in a 3-2 win against bitter rivals Burnley at Ewood Park, before scoring the winner from the spot in the return fixture at Turf Moor. He would do the same again with a late equaliser against the Clarets in the fifth minute of injury time on March 17th 2013.

He maintained a regular spot in the starting lineup following relegation, but announced in May 2015, making his final appearance in a 3-2 victory against Ipswich Town.

The elegant Turk partners him in midfield, having been integral to Rovers' finishes in the top six. His first goal came in a 7-1 win against West Ham, lobbing the keeper and making himself an instant hit with supporters. He was also named Rovers' Player of the Year for 2003/04.

Then manager Mark Hughes and Sir Alex Ferguson were firm believers that if Tugay was younger he would have featured for Manchester United or Barcelona, such was his quality. He featured 293 times for Blackburn, scoring 13.

LW - Morten Gamst Pedersen

The Norweigan is often associated with the term 'streets won't forget' after spending between 2004 and 2013 with the club.

He scored eight goals in 27 appearances in his first season, before Mark Hughes moved Pedersen out wide, where he would feature for the rest of his time.

His volley against Fulham in August 2005 won Match of the Day's 'Goal of the Month', and he also scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford just a month later.

After a handful of years where his form fluctuated, Pedersen was back to his best under Sam Allardyce and he commited to a 4-year contract in May 2010. Just a few months later he would score from 40 yards against Wigan Athletic.

He would also stick around for a season after the club's relegation in 2012, but departed in the summer of 2013 to join Karabukspor.

ST's - Benni McCarthy / Roque Santa Cruz

Benni McCarthy represents one of Rovers' most value for money signings of recent times, having signed from Porto for just £2.5m in 2006. After scoring on his home debut against Everton, he would score on his European debut in a 2-2 draw against RB Salzburg. At the end of the campaign, he would finish on 24 goals, with 18 in the Premier League, ending as the division's second-highest scorer.

McCarthy found next season tougher as a result of injuries and the form of Santa Cruz, but still managed to accumulate 11 goals.

The following season, the South African found himself vastly down Paul Ince's pecking order, and despite the latter arrival of Sam Allardyce, he joined West Ham in January 2010.

In total, the fans favourite scored 52 goals in 140 Rovers matches.

As for the aforementioned Santa Cruz, Blackburn paid German giants Bayern Munich £3.5m for his services, and the Paraguayan was an instant hit in McCarthy's absence, scoring with his third touch against Middlesbrough before also scoring on his first start against MYPA in a UEFA Cup qualifier.

He scored his first hat-trick for the club in 5-3 defeat at Wigan, the first player to do so on the losing side in the top-flight for 11 years. Santa Cruz ended as the league's fourth-highest scorer with 19, and unsurprisingly was named as Player of the Season at Ewood Park.

However, the second season didn't go to plan for Santa Cruz. Despite transfer speculation he signed a four-year contract in the Autumn. Three of his four league goals that campaign came before Christmas, with the last coming in a 2-1 defeat away at Manchester United in February 2009.

Manchester City were keen to strike a deal for his services under his old manager Mark Hughes in the 2009 winter window, but failed twice. However, he would leave for the Etihad Stadium in August for £17.5m, having scored 29 times in 70 appearances.

He would be loaned back to Ewood Park in January 2011, but failed to score in 10 appearances.