On-loan Blackburn defender Tommie Hoban is looking to secure Rovers’ Championship status and then return to Watford – regular first team involvement in the Premier League is his next aim.
When his loan at Ewood Park comes to an end he’s scheduled to return to Vicarage Road, where he still has two years left on his contract. During this time Hoban plans to do all he can to break into the Watford first team.
He told the Watford Observer: ‘In my head, I want to be playing in the Premier League as everyone does. I`ve got two years on my contract and in pre-season I`ll be doing everything I can to break into the team and hopefully I do get given that chance.’
That’s his longer-term goal but his immediate aims are on playing his part to help Blackburn stave off relegation. When the season is done, preferable with Rovers staying in the Championship, he’ll be fully focused on those Premier League ambitions.
Adding: ‘It`s three or four months away at the moment and now I`ve just got to focus on what I`m doing here at Blackburn. We`ve got three massive games to go and hopefully come the end of the season we`ve stayed up and I can turn my thoughts to it.’
Hoban, in what was only his fifth start for Blackburn, scored the crucial winner against Nottingham Forest on Good Friday after another season hampered by injury. A dislocated shoulder has kept him out of most of his loan spell with injury accounting for him last term at Watford.
But for injuries Hogan, 23, is sure things would have been different for him but these setbacks have made him mentally stronger.
He said: ‘I`m feeling good and hopefully I can finish the season strongly here, keep Blackburn up and who knows what the future will hold after that. Hopefully, I can go back to Watford, have a good pre-season and go from there. I`d be lying if I hadn`t thought it could dog me forever. I do think if I hadn`t had injuries I might be in a different place in my career right now, but people do get injured, it happens and I`m in a fortunate position still.’
Finishing: ‘Having had time out with my shoulder, I was still struggling with other problems from last year I haven`t got rid of by the start of this year. But now I`m feeling the best I`ve felt in a long time physically, I`m in a good place. Getting games here has been important. Being in this situation but mentally hopefully it can prepare me for tough situations in the future, and hopefully I can learn from it.’
If Hoban can help to keep Blackburn in the Championship he’ll leave Ewood with the thanks and huge gratitude of all, well, most at least. The future, whatever this may be, for the defender should then take care of itself in many ways.
