Gary Bowyer: Blackburn Rovers caretaker manager appointed boss

Blackburn Rovers have appointed caretaker boss Gary Bowyer as their new manager on a permanent basis.

The 41-year-old, who previously held the role of reserve-team boss, had two spells in temporary control of the first team during the 2012-13 season.

Bowyer will be in charge at Ewood Park on a 12-month rolling contract.

"It is a huge honour and a proud moment for me. I have been at the club for nine years and I know the traditions," said Bowyer.

"The foundation of the club was built on hard work and that is what we need to produce.

"The supporters want to see the players out there playing for the shirt and giving it their all.

"We need the players to show the same passion that the fans gave us during our last six games where we just lost the once."

Rovers, who guaranteed Championship survival in the final week of the campaign, achieved six wins during his 13 games at the helm.

Bowyer was one of five men to take charge at Ewood Park last term and his first stint, an unbeaten run of four matches, came after the dismissal of Henning Berg in December.

With nine games of the season to go, Bowyer again took caretaker charge of Rovers after Michael Appleton had been sacked in March.

Blackburn slipped into the bottom three on 6 April but gained 11 points from their last six league games to finish 17th in the Championship, four points above the relegation zone.

The permanent appointment of Bowyer is thought to be a popular one with the Rovers squad. England Under-21 midfielder Jason Lowe is among those to have spoken highly of the new manager, calling for him to be handed the role on a full-time basis.

And it is hoped Bowyer will add some much-needed stability to a club that have been in the headlines as much for their off-field problems over the past 12 months as their performances on it.

Their first season back in the second tier for 11 years was notable for protests from a large section of Blackburn supporters against the club's Indian owners Venky's and reports of power struggles at boardroom level between global advisor Shebby Singh and managing director Derek Shaw.

During Blackburn's relegation battle, Bowyer chose to fly to India and meet the owners as he wanted assurances about his position.

On the pitch, Steve Kean began the 2012-13 campaign as manager and took Blackburn to the top of the Championship in the early weeks of the season, but claimed he was "forced to resign" in September.

Kean's assistant Eric Black spent six games in caretaker charge, while the reigns of Blackburn's next two permanent bosses - Berg and Appleton - lasted just 57 days and 67 days respectively.