CRAIG Conway is emerging as a genuine leader for Blackburn Rovers.

That was the verdict of Gary Bowyer after he watched Conway star in Rovers’ 2-0 home win over Millwall.

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The industrious winger is in his best form of the campaign with his cross for Rudy Gestede’s opener on Tuesday the fourth goal he has set-up in the last three matches.

Conway is on course to take his number of assists into double figures for the second season running.

But Bowyer has been just as impressed by the influence the Scotland international, 29, is exerting over his team-mates.

The Rovers boss has called on his young side to stand up and be counted in recent weeks after their play-off hopes ended.

And he believes the never-say-die Conway, a £100,000 capture from Cardiff City in January 2014, is certainly doing that.

Bowyer said: “Craig Conway was magnificent from start to finish on Tuesday.

“On Saturday he got two assists and I’m going to give him that one on Tuesday.

“That takes him to nine for the season. Last season I think he got 14 in total and if he can get to double figures in the final two games that will be a fabulous return, especially when you consider what we paid for him. What a signing he’s been for us.

“But the really pleasing thing is the leadership qualities he has displayed for a number of months now.

“He was right at it again on Tuesday and I was delighted with his performance and he was rightly named man of the match.”

Bowyer was also impressed by the display stand-in centre-back Tommy Spurr produced against Millwall.

The left-back had to marshal Rovers’ makeshift backline after captain Matt Kilgallon came off with a thigh injury to be replaced by debutant Darragh Lenihan.

Bowyer said: “I thought Tommy was magnificent. He had to step up the plate even further and he did just that.

“He looked after Darragh and talked him through it. He was excellent and was what he needed to be.”

Bowyer will be without a single fit and available senior centre-back for Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield Town should Kilgallon join Alex Baptiste, Grant Hanley and Shane Duffy on the sidelines.

If the Rovers skipper does fail to recover in time Lenihan, who impressed in a midfield holding role while on loan at Burton Albion earlier in the campaign, will take his place in the heart of the defence alongside Spurr.

Bowyer said: “About a year ago we started playing Darragh at centre-half in the U21s just to see if that could be his position and thank God we did as it certainly helped us on Tuesday.

“I thought he did terrifically well up against Ricardo Fuller, who has been there, seen it and done it.

“It was a hell of a test for him and he stood up it and grew in confidence.

“He backs his ability and rightly so and we’re delighted he helped us keep a clean sheet.”

Reports yesterday linked Swansea City with a summer move for Gestede.

But, speaking after his top-scorer netted his 20th goal of the season on Tuesday, Bowyer reiterated that Rovers owners Venky’s will not let neither of the club’s star strikers go on the cheap.

He said: “Should the owners decide to sell, clubs will have to meet the valuation put on by the owners, because you’ve seen from two instances this season with Jordan (Rhodes) and Rudy himself, that if the owners’ valuation is not met, they won’t sell.”