GARY Bowyer will use the final three games of Blackburn Rovers’ campaign to run the rule over his trio of goalkeepers – after admitting the number one spot will be up for grabs in pre-season.

Jason Steele has established himself as Rovers’ first choice between the posts since his initial loan switch from Middlesbrough in September.

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But Steele, who completed a permanent £100,000 move to Ewood Park in January, has lost his place to Simon Eastwood in the last four matches.

And the competition is only going to get fiercer after Bowyer warned his two senior stoppers that teenager David Raya is now ‘breathing down their neck’.

The 19-year-old, who made his first-team debut in the 3-0 win at Leeds United on Easter Saturday, is set to be given another chance to shine before the end of the season.

And Bowyer, whose side host Millwall tonight, said: “I will have a further look in the final three games at all three goalkeepers.

“I want to have a look again at David Raya so he’ll feature at some point in the next three games.

“I want to be clear in my mind what we do going into the summer in that department and then come back knowing that we’re going to throw it out there and see who takes the number one jersey.”

Eastwood kept goal throughout Rovers’ run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

And, as reward for his showings in the competition, he has been handed a run the team following the last-eight exit to Liverpool.

“Steeley has been very good about it,” said Bowyer of the change.

“Easty has been playing in the cup but straight away Steeley’s been back in but he understands that we’ve wanted to have a look at Easty.

“Easty has played in only one game that we’ve lost this season, and that was to Liverpool, so from his point of view, his record is ever so good.

“That’s the type of competition that we want.”

Paul Robinson will leave Rovers in the summer once his contract expires and the club will also look to move on Jake Kean, who is currently on loan at League One side Oldham Athletic.

That will leave Raya to fight it out with Steele and Eastwood.

And Bowyer has stressed that the Spaniard, who was part of the Rovers side which lost last night’s U21s Premier League Cup final decider at Southampton, will not be there to make up the numbers.

“It’s always been the case that Steeley and Easty have been the ones and twos,” he said.

“But opportunity knocked for David at Leeds with Easty being injured and I thought he looked very accomplished.

“And his performances for the Under-21s, when he’s been out on loan, and in training with us, have been very, very good.

“He’s stated a case and the others now know he is breathing down their necks.

“So, as I say, I’ll have another look at him before the end of the season, because it’s the right thing to do, and I’ll have the summer then to contemplate which way we’re going with it.”

Bowyer must also decide whether to offer Paul Taylor a permanent deal in the summer.

The attacker, who has not made a first-team start since November, has made three substitute appearances for Rovers since signing on loan last month.

“He was short of match fitness but he’s been training with us for a while now so we think he’ll get a run before the end of the season,” said Bowyer, who will once again be without Grant Hanley, Shane Duffy, Alex Baptiste, Jason Lowe, Chris Taylor, David Dunn and Josh King tonight.