Blackburn Rovers are one of the most historic clubs in English football and one of only seven clubs to win the Premier League; however, since the turn of the century, they have not been one of the giants, which has seen their quality players become attractive to other clubs.
They are now currently operating in the Championship, meaning any of their more desirable talents are easy pickings for the clubs in the top divisions of Europe.
As Blackburn Rovers continue with their current off-field financial issues and fans’ resentment of the current owners grows, there is a fondness to remember the players the club used to see weekly at Ewood Park before bigger sides would pry them away.
EFL Analysis revisits the club’s most expensive-ever departures as fans hark back to these times when their players were top quality and the envy of other clubs.
Top five most expensive Blackburn Rovers departures
5. David Bentley – £15 million
The former England international only spent three seasons at the club, but he impressed across the 133 matches he played for Blackburn.
David Bentley joined Rovers from Arsenal in the summer of 2005 on loan before signing permanently in the winter of 2006 due to his performance at Ewood Park.
Bentley would leave the club in July 2008 to move back to north London, but for Tottenham Hotspur rather than Arsenal.
Spurs would manage to convince Bentley to join the club after agreeing to a £15 million transfer fee with Rovers, as well as a reported £2 million in performance bonuses.
4. Phil Jones – £16.5 million
Phil Jones joined the Blackburn Rovers academy in 2002 at the age of 10 and would progress through the youth ranks right up to senior level when he made his debut in September 2009 in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest.
The Lancashire lad would only feature across two seasons for Blackburn, playing 40 matches before Manchester United acquired his services.
Phil Jones playing for Blackburn Rovers in the Carling cup against Nottingham Forest.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Jones left Ewood Park for Old Trafford in the summer of 2011, signing for Manchester United for a reported fee of £16.5 million.
It was a straightforward transfer, as United were challenging for the Premier League while Rovers were going to be relegated from the division that season.
3. Damien Duff – £17 million
The 100-cap former Ireland international would be the most expensive sale at Blackburn Rovers if adjusted for inflation; however, he ranks third for just the fee.
Damien Duff was signed by the club as a trainee in 1996 after impressing as a schoolboy in Dublin.
He made his debut on the final day of the 1996/97 season and would constantly be one of the best players at the club across his seven seasons at Rovers before being one of the early Roman Abramovich signings at Chelsea in 2003 for £17 million.
Duff will probably be remembered most by football fans from his Premier League-winning years at Chelsea, despite the longest period of his career being spent at Blackburn.
2. Roque Santa Cruz – £17.5 million
A player that only spent two seasons in Lancashire with Blackburn but a player that fans will remember fondly.
Roque Santa Cruz scored 29 goals across 70 matches, with the first season being a much more successful season after he joined from Bayern Munich for a fee of £3.5 million.
The Paraguayan international would depart for Manchester City, who were trying to find the formula to win their first Premier League title, thinking he may be a piece of the puzzle.
However, he would struggle after making a £17.5 million move to Manchester in June 2009.
1. Adam Wharton – £18 million
Another youth product from Blackburn Rovers that has been sold for a major fee, at least for the Lancashire club, shows there are quality youth products still coming from Ewood Park.
Since leaving Rovers, Wharton has gone from strength to strength, as he is now an England international and FA Cup winner.
Wharton would have loved to achieve this at Blackburn, being a childhood fan while also playing in the same squad as his older brother Scott; however, due to Rovers playing at Championship level, he had to depart.
Crystal Palace brought him in for £18 million, with the fee potentially rising to £22 million in February 2024.