STEVEN N’Zonzi linked up with his new team-mates yesterday as the Blackburn Rovers squad returned for their first day of pre-season training.

Sam Allardyce opted to bring his players back earlier than many of Rovers’ Premier League rivals after having little chance to implement his plans during the club’s relegation battle from England’s top-flight.

A number of players who have been on international duty – including new signings Elrio van Heerden and Lars Jacobsen – are expected to join the squad at their training camp in Austria next week.