Gael Givet says he did not refuse to play for Blackburn

Gael Givet joined Blackburn from Marseille in January 2009, initially on a sixth-month loan

Blackburn defender Gael Givet says he did not refuse to play for the club against Swansea on Saturday.

After the 3-0 defeat, Rovers boss Steve Kean said he had spoken to Givet before the match but had decided Givet was not in the right frame of mind to play.

But Givet said: "I wish to make it clear that I have never refused to play for Blackburn Rovers.

"It was just the manager, Steve Kean, who decided which players would be selected for the match at Swansea."

The 30-year-old has not featured for Rovers since his sending off in the 7-1 loss at Arsenal on 4 February.

Since Givet's red card at the Emirates Stadium, Kean has preferred Grant Hanley and Scott Dann as his central defensive partnership in their battle against relegation.

Rovers remain 19th in the Premier League after their fifth defeat in a row, and are three points from safety with only four fixtures remaining.

Givet joined Blackburn in January 2009 from Marseille, initially on a six-month loan before signing a four-year contract.

Meanwhile, Rovers legend Simon Garner, who scored a record 168 goals in 474 league appearances between 1978 and 1992, has joined the supporters' campaign to bring the club back into community ownership.

The club's record league scorer has become a non-executive director of Blackburn Rovers Supporters Investment Trust (BRSIT).

BRSIT wants to take over the club from owners Venky's.

"I firmly believe the future of the club would be best served if the supporters were in control and guiding it forward," said Garner.

"Blackburn Rovers is still very close to my heart. I spent the majority of my football career at Ewood Park and I will always be a Rovers supporter.

"It would be great if other former players also joined up, I know when I was at Blackburn all the players had a special feeling for the club."