A good time, not a long time, was how Paul Lambert described his time at Rovers.

The 49-year-old took charge of will make his first return to Ewood Park since leaving his position as manager in the summer of 2016.

He has faced Rovers since departing, during his time at Wolves, but not at Ewood, where he will be in the opposition dugout tomorrow with current club Ipswich Town.

Lambert left at the end of the 2015/16 having succeeded Gary Bowyer in November 2015. His 33 matches brought 12 wins and 13 defeats and has since gone on to manage Wolves and Stoke before joining Ipswich in October.

Reflecting on his time at Rovers, Lambert said: “It was really short. There are some really good people there and I enjoyed my time there.

“It’s a really good club. It probably had lost its way a little bit and I’m looking forward to going back.”

Tony Mowbray, now in charge at Rovers, has strong links with Ipswich having finished his career at Portman Road and is highly respected at the club, as he is at another of Lambert’s ex clubs, Celtic.

Lambert added: “I never played with him at Celtic but I have met him a couple of times in certain situations.

“He’s a nice guy and is at a good club.”

Ipswich, bottom of the league but buoyed by beating Rotherham last weekend, enjoyed a free midweek while Rovers were going to extra time in their FA Cup third round replay with Newcastle.

Asked whether that could come in to play today, Lambert said: “As a footballer you want to be playing games. They are young, fit guys and they can go again.

“It was a difficult game, I watched the game and it was tough, they did well against Newcastle.

“It is a tough game but it will be a tough game for them as well, we’ll be looking to go there and do what we have been doing and try and win.”