Hughes wants 100 reasons to smile

When Mark Hughes walks out for his 100th game in charge of Blackburn Rovers tonight he will do so with the head held high of a man rightly proud of having turned the club around.

The former Wales manager arrived in September 2004 when Rovers propped up the Premier League. But not only did they escape relegation they advanced to the semi-final of the FA Cup.

Then, as more evidence of progress made, the Lancastrians finished sixth last season - securing a place in Europe - and made the last four of the League Cup.

As Blackburn prepared for the daunting task of facing Chelsea in the Carling Cup, Hughes, 42, said: "I am proud of what we have done in a short space of time.

"It seems only yesterday, I was waving to the crowd before the Portsmouth match - my first. The games have come thick and fast. We have moved not only the team forward, because of the type of football we are now playing, but the way we are viewed. However, there is still work to be done."

The former Manchester United striker's links with Blackburn stretch back to 2000. It was on this day that Graeme Souness brought him to Ewood Park.

His last game as a player - aged 38 - saw him collect a League Cup winner's medal in 2002 when Tottenham were beaten at the Millennium Stadium.

Hughes said: "I had a fantastic time here as a player. When I arrived it was a different challenge as I had never played outside the top level. Blackburn were trying to win promotion [which they achieved] and in the second year we won the League Cup. That's when I waved everyone goodbye and strode over the horizon. It was not a bad way to go."

Blackburn's eight-match unbeaten run came to an end at the weekend in the 1-0 defeat by Bolton. But Hughes is excited at the prospect of facing the League champions.

He said: "This is a high-profile game and we want to do well. We are strong, enjoying our football and playing with confidence.

"The Carling Cup is a route into Europe and we want to progress. I have always believed that these type of competitions can help you maintain your League form."