Bowyer relishing return to Blackburn

Bowyer, who was harshly sacked by Blackburn in 2015, will lead the Seasiders out at Ewood Park for their FA Cup fourth round clash on Saturday, January 28.

The Pool boss has a lot of history with the club having worked as a youth coach and reserve coach, before taking reigns of the first team in 2013.

He said: “It will be a great day for all of us connected with Blackburn Rovers and a fantastic opportunity.

“Tom Alded was an academy player there and obviously Andy Taylor has connections there.

“We saw in pre-season the reception I got and I couldn’t thank them enough. Hopefully it will be a chance to thank them again for the support they gave me when I was in charge.

“Our fans were excellent at Barnsley and we’ll have a few more there and it should be a great day out.”

Bowyer finished eighth in his first full season in charge with Blackburn, followed by ninth in 2014-15, only to be sacked the following season with the club 16th in the Championship table.

Rovers have continued to struggle since his departure and currently sit in the Championship relegation zone under the management of Owen Coyle.

Bowyer sees the game as yet another opportunity to cause a cup shock after his side beat Barnsley in the third round with a last minute goal in extra time.

He added: “When the draw for the third round was made we said let’s go and test ourselves against a Championship side with quality players and see how far we can go and see if we can come out of the game with credit.

“Anything else is a bonus and this result is a real icing on the cake."