Bradley Dack and Elliott Bennett at Ewood Park. (Image: CameraSport - Rachel Holborn)
Bradley Dack and Elliott Bennett at Ewood Park. (Image: CameraSport - Rachel Holborn)
Former Blackburn Rovers captain, Elliott Bennett, answers The Lancashire Telegraph's quickfire Q&A round.
Favourite goal you scored for Rovers?
Blackpool in the FA Cup.
Best atmosphere you experienced whilst in a Rovers shirt?
Oxford at home last day of the season. The promotion season.
Favourite away ground to visit?
Villa Park. We didn't win, we got beat but the atmosphere was amazing. All of the Blackburn fans in that away end at Villa. Villa Park basically sold out.
They're the moments you play football for. Obviously, you want to win but playing in front of that amount of people is always special.
Saturday 3pm or midweek under the lights?
I'm going to say Saturday at 3pm because I'm a traditionalist but a good away ground under the lights or with a bit of dew on the grass is good. But I’m saying Saturday 3pm.
Best player you played with during your time at Ewood?
Oh, you’re killing me. There are too many. I had prime Bradley Dack but I had Charlie Mulgrew. I had Adam Armstrong.
Let’s go Dackie because he's the most, he had probably the most influence over the team for special moments When you needed moments, Dackie was the moment man.
How difficult was it seeing his injuries?
Horrible. Obviously, I've experienced the same injury. Luckily, I didn't redo it but doing it once was horrible for me.
I know how hard that was for me mentally. So to do it back-to-back…Look, great credit to him.
The fact that he's still playing football, it would have been easy to give up and just say you're never playing again. I hurts because he's such a good lad, such a good character and prime time him was special.
Special, special player to play with. I was gutted that he didn't reach where I think he could have reached without the injuries. That's football.
I'm sure if you asked him, he'd be gutted that injuries have done what they've done, but also he knows how lucky he is that he's had the opportunity to play football at any level for one game, let alone the number of games he's played.
Roommate you'd share with on an away journey?
Bradley Johnson, easy. Very good. Makes a great cup of tea. Yeah, top man.
Was there any you try and avoid?
Dacky. He's probably matured a bit now. He's married now but he was just like a teenager. He wasn’t, he was 24. But he was like a stinky 17-year-old. A smelly teenager, just horrible.
Never wanted to sleep, full of energy. Anyone but him.
Best and worst trainer?
Oh, worst trainer. Bezza, Brereton Diaz. Rubbish. Rubbish. What he's gone on to do is phenomenal. The rise of him from when he first came to where he's got to is outstanding.
I think he is a creature of comfort. He likes to be comfortable in his surroundings. When he first came in, he's coming into a new dressing room.
He was still a young lad. He'd never been outside of his little bubble that he grew up in at Forest. Then he’s had to come into a dressing room full of massive characters that we had.
That could have been very daunting for someone like him. I wish him nothing but success but he would have been the worst trainer when he first came.
The best trainer, Adam Armstrong. How you saw him on a match day was him in training.
Phenomenal. As a human being, amazing. Footballer, great. Deserves every bit of success that he's gone on to have.
You know, it's been a great honour to, you know, to share the dressing room with him. Big shout out, though, to one second. I nearly forgot this guy and I can't believe it.
Harvey Elliott. Oh my God. Rovers fans didn't get to see him live and direct but he was wow. Incredible. 17 years old, played like a man. He could nutmeg a mermaid. He was superb.
Finally, one Rovers teammate you'd pick if you had to be stuck on a desert island with them?
I'm trying to think of someone who's really funny, but could do it. I’ll say, Craig Conway.
Hard as nails, fit as anything, resourceful, reckon he could make a good fire out of nothing and he’s got great banter.
He could be relaxed and have a serious conversation, but lighten the mood when it needs it.