BLACKBURN Rovers have opened talks with Andy Todd over a new contract.

Chief executive John Williams has met with the defender's agent to discuss the possibility of a new deal, and the club are confident of reaching an agreement before the end of the month.

Todd is one of a number of players who will be out of contract in the summer and as such he's now free to speak to rival clubs.

But Rovers boss Mark Hughes sees the former Bolton and Charlton centre-back as an integral part of his plans for the future and he's keen to sign him up for another two and a half years.

"We're looking to extend Andy's contract. I think he deserves that because of the way he's performed," said Hughes.

"Andy has been fantastic since I brought him back into the team.

"He's had to bide his time and he's possibly had a few problems in the past that maybe he felt affected his future at the club.

"But he's been excellent since I've been here, he fully deserves his opportunity and he's taken it.

"That was the reason I gave him the armband on Saturday because his performances have warranted it."

Todd looked as if he had played his last game for Blackburn when he was bombed out of the team following a bust-up with former manager Graeme Souness towards the end of last season.

However, Souness's subsequent departure for Newcastle led to a recall for Todd and the 30-year-old has since repaid his new boss Hughes with some outstanding performances at the heart of a rejuvenated Blackburn defence that has kept six clean sheets in the last nine games.

"Andy was out of the team and he didn't think he had much of a future here but a change of manager has helped that situation. He's got an opportunity and he's taken it," said Hughes.

Meanwhile, Hughes was delighted with the 1-0 win over Portsmouth.

He said: "Defensively, we've been okay for a while, it's just we haven't been picking up three points instead of the one point until recently," added the Rovers boss.

"We've drawn too many games that we could have won but, at the moment, we seem to be nicking results and three points makes a hell of a difference."