Tyrhys Dolan reacts in one word to John Buckley leaving Blackburn Rovers | OneFootball

Buckley ended his 20-year association with Rovers to join Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Khalood

Former Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan delivered a simple but powerful message following John Buckley's departure to Saudi Arabian side Al-Kholood.

Buckley completed his move to the Middle East for a fee reportedly around £1m on Tuesday, bringing an end to his 20-year association with Rovers.

The 25-year-old midfielder joined the Lancashire outfit's academy at just six years old and went on to make 170 appearances for the first team.

His new side, who finished ninth in the Saudi top-flight last season, are managed by former Oxford United boss Des Buckingham.

Tyrhys Dolan's heartfelt tribute to John Buckley

Dolan, who of course now plays for Spanish side Espanyol after his own summer departure from Rovers, took to Instagram to share his thoughts on Buckley.

The winger commented "Legend" followed by a heart hands emoji and blue heart on Rovers' official Instagram announcement of Buckley's transfer.

His comment has over 75 likes. This shows the single-word response has resonated with Rovers supporters, who also mention in the comments how Buckley has handled this transfer with respect and not kicked up a fuss.

The former teammates shared the pitch on numerous occasions during their time at Ewood Park, although Buckley's appearances in the league last season (23) was nearly half that of Dolan's (44).

Dolan has made two appearances for his new Barcelona-based club, but is yet to contribute to any goals on the pitch. He played 86 minutes of their 2-2 away draw with Real Sociedad last Sunday.

Lewis Travis also reacts to John Buckley's farewell to Blackburn Rovers

In his farewell message, Buckley described his time at Blackburn as an "incredible journey" and thanked everyone at the club for their support throughout his career so far.

After spending time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday in 23/24, this move will obviously be a big change for someone who has only ever known life in English football.

Other ex-teammates to pay tribute to Buckley's time at Blackburn Rovers include the likes of Lewis Travis, Adam Armstrong and Sam Gallagher. Travis commented "Legend mate" with a red heart on his post.

It's pretty obvious that Buckley hasn't been favoured by Valerien Ismael, and he has only featured once under the Frenchman - in the Carabao Cup - since the start of the new season. In fact, he didn't even make the bench in any league games.

His 170 appearances and nine goals aren't spectacular stats, but his commitment to the club has clearly made a lasting impression on those who played alongside him.

As Buckley begins his new adventure in Saudi, the simple yet meaningful messages from the likes of Dolan and Travis serve as a fitting send-off for someone who clearly has a soft spot for the club in his heart.