THE man who helped introduce Morten Gamst Pedersen to the Premier League believes the latest Norwegian hopeful would make a similar impact at Ewood Park.

Pedersen’s arrival in Lancashire from Tromso in 2004 saw him emerge as one of the top midfielders in the country, and compatriot Tore Reginiussen is now being tipped to follow his success.

Oyvind Christoffer Johansen, managing director of the Scandanavian Scouting Agency, made Rovers aware of Pedersen’s potential months before his arrival and is now hoping his latest tip will be given a chance at Ewood.

Defender Reginiussen started a five-day spell at Rovers yesterday, with a view to a switch in the January transfer window, with Johansen prepared to stake his future on the youngster’s promise.

He said: “In my view, Tore has clearly been the Norwegian league’s best defender this year and he has also established himself as a regular for the national team.

“Tromso IL supporters are saddened to see him leave, but everyone understands that this is a player who has got the quality to play at a much higher level.

“Now that Blackburn seems to be his next destination, I think a lot of fans in Norway are pleased due to the great reputation the club has over here.

“I believe if he’s given time to settle in Blackburn Rovers they have done a real bargain. That he can make the same impact as Morten is something he has potential of doing.

"I’ve said it since I first time saw him at the age of 16.

“If this isn’t a player with the capability to play at the highest level, I would retire as a scout. Now it seems like I can still continue as a Scandinavian scout.”

Johansen revealed he has also sent top German and French clubs information about the 22-year-old Tromso man, but admitted Rovers were the only club he had contacted personally.

He believes Reginiussen would be available for somewhere in the region of £2million and insists he has the potential to quickly become a firm fans’ favourite.

He added: “After starting his career with his home town club Alta IF, he came to Tromso IL in 2005.

“I had already seen him several times before and I was absolutely sure that he would play a huge part in his debut season for Tromso IL and that was exactly what happened.

“He was only 19 at the time, but with all the enthusiasm and hunger he brought into the game he quickly became a fans’ favourite. He actually was voted his team’s top performer in his first season.

“This season has been somewhat of a breakthrough season where he has stood out and improved his game all over.”

Johansen sent Rovers a scouting report about Reginiussen as long ago as February and, after months of tracking the player, he believes his work will be justified after the next five days.

His scouting report informed Rovers: “He has the ability to handle several positions such as central midfielder, right back and of course his natural and preferred position as a central defender.

“This is a player that will give 110 per cent, and nothing less, in every match – in every challenge. Sometimes he might benefit by standing up and occupying the striker rather than sliding in, but in all fairness, Tore doesn’t get booked very often or gets a lot of free kicks against him.

“His positioning I would say is his biggest advantage along with his ability to read the game quickly. He is good with the ball and when he breaks the opponents attack he loves to drive forward often providing great chances for counter-attacks.

“He’s got pace to handle almost any striker, and if pace does become a problem, the Alta-born talent more than often can rely on his ability to read the game – making it look almost too easy.

“Strong in the air, very good one-on-one, consistency and loyalty makes him a player that is every manager’s dream.

“Time will show, but I have no doubt that Tore Reginiussen will be impressing supporters and managers for years to come.

"The only question is, which club will land his signature?”