OUTGOING hero David Dunn believes Blackburn Rovers do possess the talent to play in the Premier League.

But he has told the players he is leaving behind that the only way they will follow in his footsteps is if they learn to become consistent.

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Dunn, who spearheaded Rovers to promotion to the top flight in 2001, said: “To play in the top league you’ve got to be consistent.

“I’m not going to name any individuals, because I think that would be wrong, but I think there are a number of players at the club who could quite easily step up with the right guidance and if they get their heads down and work hard. If that happened I think they could step up quite easily.

“But for that to happen they need to become more consistent both individually and as a team.”

Dunn’s 14th and final season at Ewood Park ended in frustration after Gary Bowyer’s side finished 11 points off the play-offs in ninth.

The former England international admits he expected better at the start of the campaign.

“I read recently something Jordan Rhodes said when he described this season as being frustrating – and I’d probably say that was the word everyone would use,” said Dunn, whose departure from Rovers will be officially confirmed when the club shortly announces its retained list.

“At the start of the season I was really, really excited about what I thought might happen as I thought we had a group of players who could do something.

“Now, for whatever reason, I don’t think I’m wrong in saying at times we have under-performed, and that sometimes bites you on the bum.

“As I said, the consistency has to be there.

“We went on unbeaten runs, yes, but in my opinion we probably drawn too many games.

“Of course if you can’t win the game, a draw is better than getting beat, but at times I think we’ve got players in our side who can go and win games. I also think at times we need to be more game-smart and understand the game a bit more.

“Just look at the final weeks of the season. You can’t give teams a chance to keep pegging you back every time you go one or two up.

“We were two up at Huddersfield, we went up three times at home to Nottingham Forest, and that kind of sums it up.

“We need to improve as a club on that and if we do we should do well because, as I say, we’ve got some technically good players.”

Rovers are now preparing for a fourth season in the Championship.

But Dunn, who will play his football away from Ewood Park in 2015-16, insists the club is in better shape than it was when it was first relegated out of the Premier League.

He said: “It’s a far better place than what it was a couple of years ago.

“When the club was changing managers, what seemed like every week, it was not good.

“So Gary has brought stability to the place and has done a good job on that.

“I think the recruitment has been very good and the club has some assets which are very saleable.

“But now we’ve got to try and get up.”