Full-back Stephen Warnock has said his move from Liverpool to Blackburn Rovers in the January transfer window, has proved to be the master stroke in terms of blossoming as a player.

At the Reds, the 25-year-old Englishman had to wait in the wings of Harry Kewell and John Arne Riise but following his transfer to Ewood Park in £1.5 million deal, the left-sided player has shown consistent form.

He said: "It's been a fantastic move for me and I just wish I had done it earlier.

"But that's the beauty of hindsight, isn't it? Things might not have worked out quite as well for me if I'd come here earlier.

"I love it here and I've got people who believe in me, which I didn't have at Liverpool.

"That gives you so much confidence and now every game I go into I feel confident that I'm good enough to be here, and good enough to play, which is something I didn't always feel at Liverpool.

"I knew I was good enough to be there but I didn't have the people behind me with the confidence to let me play and express myself. Now I do."

Warnock added: "This club needs to be in Europe every year. I think the players need to be challenged, and we know we are good enough to be there."