Blackburn Rovers: "Workmanlike" Ewood Park hero would be a perfect fit for John Eustace | OneFootball

Tugay was one of the most iconic players from Rovers' Premier League run in the 2000s.

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 produced some of the most notable players in the Premier League in the 2000s.

The likes of Chris Samba, Roque Santa Cruz and Morten Gamst Pedersen are fondly remembered by many who coin that era of football as the best.

However, in terms of ability, perhaps the greatest player to have played his football at Ewood Park during that time is Tugay. The Turkish midfielder played 294 games for Blackburn across eight years at the club, eventually retiring in 2009.

With a rocket of a right foot, Tugay scored iconic goals from all distances and angles, while simultaneously proving himself as an extremely dependable defensive midfielder as Blackburn reached the heights of European football in the early part of the decade.

Tugay would be a perfect fit for John Eustace's current Blackburn team

There have been several debates recently over whether the players that played in the Premier League during the noughties would fit into the modern era, and the 54-year-old is a key example of a footballer that could stand the test of time.

His strength defensively, but also his vision to pick out a pass, would make him a key asset to any team in the lower half of the Premier League and top end of the Championship now, and he would be the perfect player to slot into John Eustace's current team.

Toby Wilding, Football League World's Blackburn Fan Pundit, was a huge fan of Tugay and believes that his skill set would be suitable for the modern game.

He said: "You look at the workmanlike way that Sondre Tronstad and Lewis Travis are performing in the centre of the park right now, that is something that Tugay was obviously brilliant at in terms of just taking control and dictating games in that area.

"Obviously, he had that extra touch of quality as well, getting forward from time to time with a pass or even a strike from distance, as he was well known for.

"It would just make him such a huge asset to the club as he was at the time when he actually was on the books at Ewood Park."

Blackburn's 2000s run was a mixed bag

After winning the league title in 1994/95, the club went through a slight decline towards the end of the 1990s and were relegated to the second tier.

However, after just two years in the division, they were promoted back to the Premier League and showed no sign of fatigue, finishing 10th in their first season back while also lifting the League Cup.

Tugay was phenomenal during the cup run, but was forced to miss the final due to suspension. Nevertheless, he was able to show off his talents in the UEFA Cup in the next two campaigns, but unfortunately for Blackburn, they never made it past the qualifying rounds.

Over the course of the 2000s, Rovers finished anywhere between sixth and 15th, and Tugay played a significant role in their success during this time.

Many young supporters will wish that they could have seen the Turkish midfielder in his prime, with Blackburn's recent exploits a lot more disappointing compared to those 20 years ago.