Salgado has eyes on silverware at Blackburn Rovers (From This Is Lancashire)

Salgado has eyes on silverware at Blackburn Rovers

1:08pm Wednesday 28th July 2010 in

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MICHEL Salgado is determined to enjoy a ‘great moment’ at Blackburn Rovers after watching some of his best friends lift world football’s biggest trophy this summer.

The former Spanish international insists he felt nothing but joy at seeing Spain end years of World Cup torment in South Africa but insists Rovers are capable of writing their own bit of history this season.

The 33-year-old right back was part of the Rovers side who were cruelly dumped out of the Carling Cup after a thrilling semi-final defeat at Villa Park last season and is now bidding to make up for that heartbreak.

Rovers continue the Sydney Festival of Football campaign with a game against Greek outfit AEK Athens today but, with the Premier League season just three weeks away, Salgado, who was on Blackburn’s pre-season trip in Austria when Spain lifted the World Cup, is already relishing the challenge ahead.

He said: “I was delighted to see us (Spain) win it. It is a great year for us. I think it was deserved. We played really well, although it was a weird competition.

“But I think Spain did deserve to win the World Cup and now we have shown the world that we are the best at this time. We won the European Championships and the World Cup and I think we were looking for this title for years and years and we were really unlucky. At last we were lucky this year.

“It would be great to have a moment like that here (at Blackburn). Maybe we can, because we had the chance last year to get a final. We were unlucky because we were winning 2-0 against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

“We were unlucky but we had the chance. We are looking forward to try to have a great moment in football here.”

Having made the last of his 53 appearances for Spain in 2006, Salgado has missed the golden years that have followed for the now European and World Champions.

He did though win everything there was to win during his glittering 10-year spell at Real Madrid and insists he does not look back with any regret.

“Yes I would have liked to have won it,” he said. “But I’m not disappointed because I’m really happy. I have a lot of mates and they played this time. They are representative players for all of us.

“It was a pity I won nothing when I was with them, we had the chance to win the European Championships or a World Cup but we were unlucky.

“So now we are happy for them - for Casillas, for Sergio Ramos, for Puyol. I played with all of them and I think it is a great thing for us.

“I think I was lucky anyway because I lived unbelievable months in Madrid. We won the Champions League, four leagues and the Intercontinental Cup.

“But now it is different. We are playing for each point but I’m really happy with the last season. We finished 10th, in a great position, and we’ll try to improve on last year and maybe enjoy that great moment.”

Upon his arrival from Madrid last summer, Salgado took three months to settle into life in the Premier League before establishing himself as an Ewood Park favourite.

Now, having played a full part in pre season so far, Salgado is ready to make his mark from the odd this time around.

He said: “I’m going to work to start better than last year, but that’s normal. It’s a different year for me because now I’m doing the pre-season.

“Last year I arrived late and they had already played four games before I arrived, so it was hard for me starting off the season last year.

“Now it’s different and I’m working with the team since we arrived here to do pre-season and I’m going to work really hard to be a regular and to have a better season than last year.”