TONY Mowbray believes Richie Smallwood’s qualities and commitment will make him a hit with the Blackburn Rovers fans after making the midfielder his second summer signing.

Smallwood joined Rovers on an initial two-year deal on Tuesday, re-uniting himself with Mowbray after the pair worked together during a three year spell at Middlesbrough.

Mowbray admits he has kept a close eye on Smallwood’s development since they both left the Riverside in 2013, and believes Rovers have secured a ‘solid’ footballer who will have a clearly designed role in the side.

Smallwood became Mowbray’s second signing of the close season, and second central midfielder, after Peter Whittingham joined from Cardiff City earlier this month. Their arrival comes after Jason Lowe, Danny Guthrie and Hope Akpan were all released.

The head coach said: “He was a young kid that was coming through and he’s from the same part of the world as I’m from and our fans will like his endeavour, his commitment and his passion.

“He will put his foot in, he will challenge for every ball and he will compete for everything on the pitch.

“I just felt that he’d bring qualities that every team needs and I think it’s important that we did have a player like that, so that we weren’t a soft touch on the tough nights away from home in the middle of winter.

“It was important that we do have somebody who wants to put their foot in and compete.

“I’ve told him he’ll have to work really hard to get himself in the team, because we have some high-quality players, but there’s going to be lots of games where we need a character who is there to compete for us and win the ball back and give it to the likes of Whittingham or (Corry) Evans or the footballers who can spray it around the pitch.

“I think while Richie is a good passer of the football, his main qualities and the reason we’ve brought him here is to give us a bit of stability. To win it back and pass it simple. To keep the ball for the team.

“I know him as a human being and he’s a fantastic lad. He’ll run through a brick wall for you and while he might not be as exciting an acquisition as a Peter Whittingham, I think he’s a very solid, hard-working, honest, full of integrity footballer.”

Smallwood left Middlesbrough, after featuring 72 times, for Rotherham United where he would go on to make 133 appearances for the Millers.

That included a League One promotion winners medal after a play-off final win at Wembley over Leyton Orient in May 2014. And Mowbray is looking forward to working with Smallwood once again at Ewood Park.

He added: “I’m sure he could have stayed at Middlesbrough, as some young players do, but he took the decision to move on and he’s played a lot of football and got a promotion out of League One with Rotherham and got their player of the season award as well.

“So he’s a young guy I’m looking forward to reconnecting with really and I know what I'm going to get before I even see him again.”