Stephen Warnock says not changing too much too soon will give Rovers the best possible chance to stabilise themselves in the Championship.

Warnock was part of the Wigan squad promoted from League One as champions in 2015/16, only to be relegated the following year along with Rovers.

The Latics won the third tier title again in 2017/18, finishing two points above Rovers, and both will be looking to kick on in the Championship next season.

The full-back has announced his retirement from the game after a spell in the Championship with Burton Albion before finishing the season in League One with Bradford.

So the 36-year-old is well placed to discuss the difference in quality between the two levels.

“It’s a huge step,” Warnock told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“We tried to take it with Wigan (in 2016/17) and probably made too many changes.

“If Tony Mowbray can add one or two to his squad then I don’t think they need too much more.

“They showed last year they are capable of beating teams comfortably in League One and to step up to the Championship you need to be more clinical in front of goal and know at the other end teams will be more clinical as well.

“There is that step up in class but they are more than capable of holding their own in that league and hopefully pushing even higher than that.”

Warnock was a Rovers player for just over two-and-a-half years between January 2007 and August 2009 when he joined Aston Villa.

He says the Ewood Park fans saw his best years as a player, earning international honours with England in 2008, while he also includes his first year at Villa Park in that.

Then Rovers were competing on the European front, qualifying for the UEFA Cup in his first season in 2007/08 and going within inches of reaching an FA Cup final under Mark Hughes.

And while the former Liverpool youngster hopes Rovers can go back to those levels of success in the top flight, he says they must respect the quality, and spending power, in the Championship.

He added: “You can’t be looking to go back-to-back promotions.

“You have to respect the league and when you look at the teams who are in that league, some of them in the Championship are frightening.

“What they’ve got and what they are willing to spend, that’s what you have to understand, the fans as well, is that you are a big club and can attract the names but at the end of the day money talks.

“There are a lot of teams with money in that league who are trying to buy their way to the Premier League and it’s very difficult to do that.

“I think trying to get them sustained in the Championship, stay there for a couple of years, and then hopefully build on that.”

  • There will be an extended interview with Stephen Warnock on his time with Rovers in Monday’s Lancashire Telegraph.