Ribeiro’s Nottingham Forest fuel in Blackburn pursuit

As far as introductions to a new football club go, Yuri Ribeiro has experienced almost every emotion in six weeks at Blackburn Rovers.

The Portuguese left-back signed on a free transfer in January and has been catapulted straight into the side. His Championship experience has been invaluable with Owen Beck and Harry Pickering on the sidelines.

Signed by John Eustace (sort of), Ribeiro has also had a new head coach thrust upon him. He insists it’s important the players help Valerien Ismael in these opening weeks, as much as he can help them.

“Really good, I’m feeling that I’m here for a long time, just past one month, so it’s really, really crazy,” he says.

“I’m saying this to all my family, that sometimes I’m just thinking that I arrived here for six months or one year ago, especially because everyone inside of the club really helped me to feel at home.

“People are really nice here inside of the club, they try to help me every day, so this is why it was so easy.

“Of course, I know from before the league, I know the championship, after three years I’m more experienced, so I know the league, I’m more experienced, so everything counts, and I’m here to keep going and to help my teammates.

“I want to help everyone, I want to make assists, so I just need to keep going. I’m really focused here. I know what I need to do and I will keep going and I will do more and more because I know how things are in football, so I just need to keep focused.”

Ribeiro has been in a top-six fight before, which ended in painful circumstances with Nottingham Forest. Remarkably, there was a seven-goal swing on the final day of the season which saw them miss out to Swansea City.