PAUL Lambert wanted to do a deal to keep Tom Lawrence at Blackburn Rovers for the rest of the season.

The exciting Leicester City attacker has extended his stay at Ewood Park until January 31 after his initial loan came to an end last weekend.

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Lambert has confirmed that Premier League high flyers Leicester would have been willing to let Lawrence remain at Rovers until the end of the campaign.

But he says the 21-year-old Wales international was advised to agree a shorter-term deal that could yet be made longer.

“I think it was his management team or his agent,” said Lambert when asked whose call it was to make it a month.

“We wanted to try and do the full term – and Leicester did as well. It kind of threw me that one a little bit. But it’s no fault of Tom at all. It was discussions between his agent and Tom himself.

“Tom’s a young kid. It’s a big thing for a young player to make major decisions.”

Lawrence always wanted to stay at Rovers after scoring two goals in his first 19 appearances for the club.

But he says he will wait until the end of end of January before deciding his next step.

“I wanted to stay here from when the loan period finished,” said Lawrence, who knows he needs to play to force his way into Wales’ Euro 2016 squad.

“It’s always a bonus to get more games and hopefully I can help the team to win those games.

“We’ll get these games done with first, as there’s a lot this month, and then we’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it.”