ON-LOAN Accrington Stanley defender Johnny Flynn has revealed his ambition to play for Blackburn Rovers and Northern Ireland one day – but he knows his first task is winning a place in the starting line-up at the Crown Ground.

Flynn joined Stanley on loan from Blackburn in November and, although he has so far made only one appearance, the Reds saw enough to extend the centre back’s temporary deal until the end of this month.

Whether it is extended further could depend on whether 20-year-old Flynn gets the chance to prove himself at Football League level in the next couple of weeks, with the regular centre back pairing of Phil Edwards and Darran Kempson so far limiting his opportunities.

The Belfast-born defender went on loan to Blue Square Premier side Chester earlier this season following a spell in Blackburn’s reserve team, and he is well thought of after becoming a regular for the Northern Ireland under 21 side.

When he was playing in Northern Ireland for Ballymena, his then club manager Tommy Wright described him as ‘the best teenage defender I have seen in the Irish League for some time’.

A move to Blackburn came in January 2008, and Flynn hopes he may get to follow fellow youngster Phil Jones into the first team before his Ewood contract expires in 18 months’ time.

“If you’re good enough Sam Allardyce will play you,” he said.

“But at the minute there are a lot of young lads ahead of me and I just want to work as hard as I can and get up in the pecking order.

“Hopefully I can catch the gaffer’s eye and he chooses to put me in. But if he doesn’t that’s his decision “I was born and bred in Belfast but when I was 15 I went on trial with Tranmere.

“Nothing came of that so I went home and started playing for Ballymena.

“I played in the reserves for a year and the manager Tommy Wright promoted me to the first team at the start of the second year.

“I played 14 games and I got my move to England. I went on a few trials around different clubs but I chose Blackburn. It was a friendly club.

“And the first-team lads at Blackburn are brilliant.

“Every one of them is there to help you, they help you so much.”

Flynn plays alongside fellow Stanley loanee Billy Kee for the Northern Ireland under 21 team and the pair also linked up as the under 20s won the internationally respected Milk Cup in August.

So Flynn is ambitious to make the same step-up Kee made in October, when the 19-year-old was handed a shock call-up to the Northern Ireland senior squad for their World Cup qualifier against Slovakia – even if the striker did not get on the field.

“I started off with the under 19s for Northern Ireland and I played about six games,” added Flynn. “Then I played around eight times in the under 20s, captained them to the Milk Cup and then I’ve made nine appearances for the under 21s.

“People say it’s the top level, international football, because you play against different countries with different styles.

“You just want to do it because I’ve been with that bunch of lads for a number of years and you just want to fight for each other.

“Getting into the senior squad is possible. Nigel Worthington likes giving young players a chance.

“He’s trying to regroup for the next qualifying campaign so if you’re good enough you don’t have to be a certain age.

“If you’re playing regularly you might get a game.”

Flynn is clearly a young player not short of ambition.

Stanley boss John Coleman would not have it any other way.