Ben Brereton Diaz doesn't want Blackburn Rovers' good start to go to waste ahead of Preston North End clash

Rovers were top of the league before the turn of the year last season and it meant plenty of their supporters were dreaming of a return to the top flight.

In the end, they fell away and it meant a summer of change as Tony Mowbray departed Ewood Park after five years in East Lancashire, including a relegation and a promotion.

In came Jon Dahl Tomasson and he picked up where Mowbray left off, seeing Rovers towards the top of the table.

Incredibly, Blackburn are yet to draw a game in their 21 so far this season in the Championship, winning 12 and losing nine. They have lost two more than West Brom in 21st, but have won more games than anyone else in the division.

Their key man will of course be Ben Brereton Diaz whose meteoric rise has seen him become a celebrity in South America alongside the likes of former Barcelona and Inter Milan pair Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal.

After 22 goals last season, including the only goal of the game last time PNE travelled to Ewood Park, and unsurprisingly he’s leading the way again this season for Rovers, netting nine so far.

After a heavy defeat to local rivals Burnley just before the international break for the Qatar World Cup, Blackburn have been away to Spain for a training camp, whilst sitting third in the league.

They will be looking to avoid another drop off, as we saw last season, and Brereton Diaz does not want to see their hard work go to waste in what could be his final months at the club with his contract due to expire in the summer.

He said: "I've really enjoyed the start of the season. We're in the top six so we've got nothing to complain about, but I always want more. I'm happy with the goals I've scored so far but I definitely think for myself I still need to work on my hold-up play.

"I need to get more assists and create more chances. But I'm working hard in training and so I can hopefully put it all into play on a matchday.

"We've had more clean sheets. Defensively we've been good. If you get clean sheets you win games and that's one thing we've really improved upon this season.

"When we score we're winning games. We're playing lovely football from the back and finishing it off with good play in the final third.

"We've had this break and a little recharge, now we've got to go again in the second half of the season. All the work will have been for nothing if we don't keep it up.

"Every Championship team wants to get into the play-offs or get promoted. We've had a good start this season, but like I said we've got to keep working hard and the team wants to get into the play-offs, because everyone wants to play in the Premier League.

"The second half of the season will be massive. We know what we're working for."