Roque a happy Rover

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 29th September 2007   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Roque a happy Rover

Santa Cruz: Happy with Rovers

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Roque Santa Cruz insists he is loving life in England and does not regret moving to Blackburn.

The Paraguayan star quit Bayern Munich to sign for Blackburn in a £3.5 million deal in the summer.

The 26-year-old has made a huge impact at Ewood Park since the move, bagging four goals already and Santa Cruz is very happy with how his career in England has begun.

"I've found England very friendly. I like the people and I like fish and chips," he told the Daily Mail.

"When people in Paraguay heard about me signing for Blackburn, they searched for information about the club.

"They wanted to try to understand why I was coming, but they found out about the players, like Benni McCarthy and David Bentley, and the manager, and they understand most that I need football, I need to be part of a team.

"I won four Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Champions League medal in Germany, but I sent my medals back to my mum. I didn't want to win medals from the bench. I am hungry for success and also I want to be picked and I want to score goals."

Santa Cruz admits he did have other options before choosing Blackburn, but Mark Hughes won him over.

"I spoke with the manager and that made up my mind. I had a ticket to go to another club but I quickly decided to come to Blackburn," he said.

"I didn't know much about the team. I knew about Mark Hughes the player, though.

"He was a great player, a striker and it makes a difference to me that he can understand and help me to improve my game.

"I needed to feel wanted after what had happened in Munich. I didn't want to be a first choice for the bench.

"Yes, I was hindered by a lot of injuries. Three knee injuries, both knees. It's hard, even now, to describe how it made me feel.

"But coming here isn't a step backwards. Bayern is a top club in Europe, but Blackburn are well managed and ambitious. I liked what the manager told me, for me this is the right place."