Storm it

The ambitious Rovers chief raised more than a few eyebrows when he swooped to sign the 28-year-old on a free transfer earlier this month - three years after Graeme Souness decided he wasn't good enough to cut it in the top-flight of English football.

However, Hughes believes the former Stockport star is now a far better player than he was when he came for that ill-fated trial at Brockhall in 2002.

And after seeing his attitude in training during the last fortnight, Hughes is even more convinced than ever that he has unearthed a Premiership star in the making.

"Shefki's going to be good for us," said the Rovers chief, who is putting his squad through their paces at a training camp here in Germany.

"He's desperate to do well at this level, he wants to prove himself, and when you've got a hungry footballer then you've got a chance because each day he has come into training his attitude and his application has been first rate.

"With that attitude, he can go as far as he wants to in the game.

"Shefki's a different type of player to the ones we've already got.

"He's got a physical presence, he's got great ability in the air, he's got good pace

and he gives us an option we didn't really have last season.

"He's a different type of player to Jon Stead, but he's a player that I know I will use this season."

Hughes was a member of the playing staff at Rovers when Kuqi first came to the club for a trial spell three years ago.

Graeme Souness, who was manager of Blackburn at the time, wanted a closer look at the Kosovan-born striker after he had impressed him with his performances for Stockport in the season Rovers got promoted back to the Premiership.

However, Souness decided not to take his interest any further and Kuqi ended up joining Sheffield Wednesday instead before eventually sealing a move to Ipswich, for whom he scored 22 goals last season.

It was that kind of goalscoring form that ultimately persuaded Hughes to give Kuqi a second chance at this level, and the Welshman believes he's now a different proposition altogether compared to when he first pitched up at Rovers.

"I remember when he came for a trial," recalls Hughes.

"I think he came to one session and maybe it wasn't long enough to get a true picture of what he's all about.

"But, obviously, he's now two or three years older and he's had two or three years of football at a good standard.

"He's been playing international football against some of the top teams around during that period, so he's a far better player now than when I first saw him."

In fact, Hughes admits he even sees a bit of himself in Kuqi, in terms of his aggression and physical presence, two qualities that stood out when he scored a fine goal on his debut in the 2-2 friendly draw with Morecambe last Saturday.

"He likes to play with his back to goal, but he's got more pace than I had, and he's better in the air than I was so there's not too many similarities," quipped Hughes.

There's no doubt Kuqi's arrival will give Hughes greater options up front this season compared to last, when Rovers mustered a miserly 32 goals in the Premiership - their worst ever return in a league campaign.

That record must be improved on if they are to challenge for a top 10 spot this time, but Hughes believes he now has the men to do that in Kuqi and fellow new-boy Craig Bellamy, who was signed for £4 million from Newcastle United earlier this month.

"I was looking to bring players in who could give me the options I felt we didn't have last year and I'm happy with the ones we've got now," added Hughes.