Patience pays off for Rovers ’keeper

JASON BROWN is unfazed by the prospect of trying to shut out Manchester United’s star-studded forward line.

The 26-year-old Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper is in line to make only his second Premier League appearance — and the biggest game of his career so far — when United visit Ewood Park tomorrow (5.30pm).

Brown, a Wales international, was signed by Blackburn from Gillingham in June 2006 but spent two seasons as understudy to Brad Friedel without ever making a league appearance.

Even when Friedel moved to Aston Villa in the summer, Brown’s prospects of holding down a first-team place did not improve as Rovers manager Paul Ince brought in England international Paul Robinson for £3.5million.

But a calf injury sustained by Robinson opened the door for Brown, who made his debut in last Saturday’s 2-1 win at Newcastle United.

Brown is delighted to have finally been given his chance.

He explained: “When you are working with someone like Brad Friedel, he was Mr Iron Man who never seemed to break down, and you wonder if your chance will ever come.

“Paul came in during the summer and has done fantastic so I’ve had to be patient.

‘It was a great experience at St James’ Park and hopefully there will be many more days like that to come.”

Brown will be aiming to help Blackburn win a third successive league game after victories against Fulham and Newcastle, though he admits this will be the team’s biggest challenge of the season.

The Reds warmed up for this weekend’s showdown with a 3-0 win against Aalborg in the Champions League.

Dimitar Berbatov opened his account for United in Denmark, scoring the second and third goals following Wayne Rooney’s opener.

Ewood Park has not been a favourite haunt for United in recent years and they have won only once in their last six league visits.

It will be the first managerial meeting between Sir Alex Ferguson and one of his former pupils after Ince, the self-proclaimed ‘Guv’nor’ from his days at Old Trafford, was appointed successor to Mark Hughes in the summer.

After a difficult arrival at Ewood Park, where some of the players were allegedly unhappy with his style of management, the situation has stabilised thanks to a satisfactory start to the season.

Blackburn have taken 10 points from six games to lie in a highly-respectable seventh place.

The £17million sale of David Bentley to Tottenham and the departure of the ever-reliable Friedel were two major losses, but managing to hold on to Roque Santa Cruz, last season’s 23-goal top scorer, was a massive lift for Rovers.

Robinson is the highest profile of Ince’s six signings. The sextet includes the loan capture of Manchester United’s Danny Simpson who is ineligible to play tomorrow.