Blackburn Rovers will ‘find it hard’ to replace Bradley Dack influence

Dack will leave Rovers after the club opted not to take up the one-year option in his contract in what was an emotional farewell for the 29-year-old.

He has been a talismanic figure on the pitch but also a huge character off it, with Buckley among those to have developed a friendship with Dack who endured a Rovers career of huge highs but also crushing lows.

Buckley making his breakthrough when Dack was at the peak of his powers, winning the League One player of the year prize as they achieved promotion back to the Championship where he scored 25 times in his first season-and-a-half in the division.

The first of two serious knee injuries came in December 2019, with Buckley among those getting their opportunities in the No.10 role Dack had made his own.

The two grew close in recent years, with regular fishing trips alongside Ben Brereton who will also be leaving the club this summer, and Buckley says Dack’s absence cannot be understated.

“When I came into the team four or five years ago, then made my debut, he’s been a massive part of my journey for advice,” the 23-year-old said.

“Recently, over the last few years I’ve developed a good relationship with him, he’s become a good friend of mine now.

“The goals he scored and the personality he brought to the team is massive.

“I’m pretty sure he’ll be hard to replace.

“He’s a great lad and I’m sure I’ll keep in touch with him and I’m sure he won’t struggle to find another club.

“He’ll be a big miss and I’m sure the dressing room will think that as well.”

Daniel Ayala, alongside Brereton and Dack, will be leaving this club, with a combined service of 14 years between them.

The trio were all big figures around the club and leave holes to fill in the squad, but also personalities within the dressing room.

“You’re probably spending as much time here with the lads as you do your families, especially the schedule we had last year with fitting the games in with the World Cup,” Buckley added.

“You see these lads quite a lot so with Ayala, Dacky and Bez all going it’s pretty sad.”

Dack scored 57 goals for the club, operating largely from a position behind the central striker.

Yet his instinct in the six-yard box, which continued even in his final season at the club, contributed to so many of his goals.

Buckley says he has looked for advice on that in his quest to add more goals to his game, but believes instinct plays a big part.

“It’s hard to teach what Dacky had, a good instinct of where the ball was going to drop and it’s something that not a lot of people have and you can only try and learn from,” he said.

“I’ve spoken things to him about things like that, done a few sessions after training so hopefully I can grab a few next season when he’s gone.”

With three senior players having moved on, as well as Rovers’ three loanees, the club have begun the search for their replacements, with Niall Ennis first through the door.

Director of football Broughton has vowed that Rovers will look to replace the experience that is leaving the club, though there will be a responsibility on those already at the club to take on a greater role off the pitch.

Buckley now has over 100 league appearances to his name and is part of a crop of players the club will be looking at to help take them forward and help integrate the younger players coming through.

Having been there himself, a fledgling teenage prospect around the first-team squad, Buckley knows only too well the impact that a welcoming dressing room can have on that integration period.

“Other people will be coming in which I’m sure Gregg and the gaffer will try and replace the experience of Dan and Dacky,” said Buckley, who is currently at the Senior Training Centre four times a week working on his fitness ahead of the return to pre-season.

“People like myself, Joe (Rankin-Costello) we’re only getting more experienced through the last few campaigns and need to step up and help the younger lads like Adam Wharton, Ash Phillips, Harry Leonard.

“I’ve been helped with Johnno (Bradley Johnson) and Benno (Elliott Bennett) and people previously.

“It helps massively, it makes you feel comfortable in the situations and not feeling a lot of pressure.

“When I was coming through the lads made me feel at ease and able to express myself and to let them do the same, but doing the hard work as well.”