TOMMY Spurr insists he is happy to play anywhere for Blackburn Rovers if it means he is in the team.

The left-back spent the final six matches of last season at centre-back after injuries ruled out Alex Baptiste, Grant Hanley and Shane Duffy.

Hanley and Duffy, along with Matt Kilgallon, will be fit by the time Rovers start pre-season training on Tuesday week.

But, with loan star Baptiste having returned to Bolton Wanderers, that has left Gary Bowyer with just three out-and-out central defenders.

Youngster Darragh Lenihan was thrust into the heart of the backline alongside Spurr in the last three games of the campaign after Kilgallon joined Baptiste, Hanley and Duffy on the sidelines.

The out-of-contract Lenihan, who remains in talks with Rovers over a new deal, is viewed more as a centre-midfielder.

But Spurr has told Rovers boss Bowyer, who is restricted to a squad of no more than 24 established players, that he would have no problem with playing centre-back again next season.

He said: “I always said, ever since I started playing there, that I enjoyed it.

“I think I can do a job there and, as long I’m getting a run of games, I’m not bothered where I play.

“The gaffer said that I did all right there, so I’ll take that, and if it means me playing there again in the future, then I’ve got no problems with that.”

Spurr started start out as a centre-back in Sheffield Wednesday’s academy.

But he made his name at left-back, firstly with Wednesday and then with Doncaster, and it was from that position that he finished third in the player of the year poll in his debut campaign with Rovers.

However his hopes of building on that were wrecked last summer when he sustained a fresh groin injury which ruled him out until February.

Spurr went on to make 13 appearances for Rovers last season and he admits he could never have imagined it would be that many.

“It was the longest time I’ve been out,” said the 27-year-old, whose groin problems first surfaced toward the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

“I usually play 30-40 games every year so it was tough to take, especially when I went from playing every game to sitting and watching.

“I didn’t think I’d even play a couple of games so if you would have said to me at Christmas I would play the amount that I did, I’d have laughed at you.

“I’m buzzing that I got myself into a position to play again after the injuries that happened to me and now I’ve got to aim to play more games and improve whether that be at left-back or centre-back.”

Markus Olsson filled the void vacated by Spurr at left-back and went on to be named Rovers’ player of the year.

“Ols has been brilliant for us and I’m happy for him because he’s a good lad and we get on well together,” said Spurr.

“I’ll be pushing him and that’ll be a good, healthy competition for the team.”