CRAIG Conway is relishing striking up a partnership with returning Blackburn Rovers fans’ favourite Danny Graham.

Graham scored seven goals in 18 appearances in the second half of last season during an impressive loan spell from Sunderland.

But Conway started just three games with the player who will lead the line in today’s Championship opener at home to Norwich City (3pm) after making a permanent move to Ewood Park.

And the winger said: “I didn’t really get to play with Danny last season so I’m really looking forward to doing that.

“He’s got so many strengths. He’s not just a goalscorer. He holds it up really well and he works harder than probably anybody on the pitch, which the fans love.

“He’s done really well and I’m looking forward to playing and linking up with him.

“It was brilliant to get him signed up again for what he brings to the team.”

After a flying start to the 2015-16 campaign Conway lost his place after then Rovers boss Paul Lambert switched to a diamond formation.

But the Scotland international is hoping to be a regular in the starting line-up this season with Lambert’s replacement Owen Coyle intending to play with width.

Conway said: “That’s certainly something I’m really happy with that it looks like the manager is going to go with wingers.

“Toward the end of last season was probably the first time since I’ve been here that I didn’t feature because we were playing a more narrow system, which didn’t really suit me.

“Some managers are different from others and you’ve got to deal with that in your career.

“I thought the first half of last season probably couldn’t have got any better for me. There were a lot of assists, I had a couple of goals, and it went really well.

“Hopefully I can start like that again. I’m really looking forward to the start of the season.”

Rovers are out to improve on their disappointing 15th-placed last time out.

And Conway, who is aiming to be fit to face Norwich today following a thigh injury, said: “We’ve had a really good pre-season, we were unbeaten, and we had a good but tough camp in Austria.

“You’ve got to take it a game at a time but certainly we want to be a lot better than last season and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t push up to where we should be.

“The Championship is pretty much a level playing field. There are probably three or four teams in it this year who have spent a lot of money who will be expected to be up there. But that’s not always the way it goes in the Championship.

“If we just go about it in a quiet way hopefully we can get off to a good start and then you never know what can happen.”