My manager used to drive me to training when we played together – now we’re targeting Premier League promotion

ANDREAS WEIMANN once shared a car to training as a young pro  with John Eustace when they were Watford team-mates.

He is hoping his now manager can steer him and Blackburn back into the Premier League fast lane.

Weimann, 33, has not played in the top flight for nine years since he left Aston Villa, losing three times in the play-offs.

He was unsuccessful with Derby in 2016 and 2018 and with West Brom last season while on loan from Bristol City — all in the semi-finals.

And it has been 12 long years since Rovers graced the Premier League.

The Austrian attacking midfielder told SunSport: “This is my tenth  season in the Championship.

“It’s been such a long time since I was in the Premier League.

“I loved every minute of it when I was there with Villa.

“I spent six years with Bristol City and it was disappointing not to have won promotion with them.

“We just fell short of the play-offs so it’s definitely frustrating not to have gone up from this league since dropping down.

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“If I win promotion here with Blackburn it would top my career.”

And Rovers have certainly got off to a flying start this season. They go into thier clash with QPR unbeaten after six games and on 12 points.

Weimann, who only signed this summer from Ashton gate, has wasted no time in endearing himself to the Ewood Park faithful.

He scored a stunning volley to earn a 1-1 draw at rivals Burnley, which won him the Sky Bet Championship Goal of the Month award.

And Weimann said: “It just dropped perfectly for me and  felt like an age for the ball to go in — but it’s a goal I’m definitely never going to forget.

“I’ve only been at the club for a month-and-a-half and everyone told me how important this game was.

“So to score in front of the away fans at Turf Moor was brilliant.

“I’m just really enjoying it. I have come in and settled down well with all the lads.

“I feel good in myself and the body and the start has been great for us.

“We’re still unbeaten and there’s such a feel-good factor around the club. The work the boys did in pre-season has reaped rewards.

“What the manager worked on with them, you see coming out in games. The gaffer has got us close together.

“You can see that on the pitch, where a couple of games have been tight — but our togetherness has got us through those games, either getting us a point or all three.”

Weimann says it was because Eustace was Rovers boss that he decided to join — despite the fact the club were only spared relegation on the final day of last season.

And he admits it does feel bizarre playing for him now, years after being his team-mate and sharing a car to and from Watford’s training ground each morning.

He explained: “It’s a bit strange calling him gaffer — but apart from that everything is normal.

“I was only 19 when we played together. That was such a long time ago. He’s been just brilliant since he came in and is doing well as  a coach.

“When I was at Watford on loan from Villa, I was still living in  digs in Sutton Coldfield where he lived as well.

“I didn’t drive so he gave me lifts back from Watford, so he helped me a lot.

“I can’t remember the conversations we had in the car back then — but I was certainly grateful for all his help.

“One thing that I do remember, though, are the talks we had before I came here.

“We had chats about how he wanted me to play and saw me in the team and what position he saw me  playing in.

“It all sounded good. The base of the squad was good.

“They should not have been where they were last season and the quality of the new players has  helped us improve.”

And Blackburn have been entertaining, too. Only Sunderland and Burnley (13) have scored more than the 12  Rovers have put away so far.

And Weimann said: “We’ve worked a lot in units, where all the forwards go away and work on how the opposition set up and how we can break them down.

“Then, the new lads have come in and it’s clicked a  bit for everyone.

“If you look at Blackburn in the last few years, they  always had one high goalscorer — so scored lots.

“We’re sharing it around now but it’s always been a club where we’ve scored a lot of goals, to be fair.”

The Austrian is now targeting  promotion and added: “I’ve lost in the play-offs three times so I’d like to settle that score.

“But  the first aim is to make sure we’re not anywhere near where the club were last season.

“Yet if we can stay consistent, we’ll be there or thereabouts.”