Darragh Lenihan sparks debate over Blackburn Rovers return after Middlesbrough exit | OneFootball

Darragh Lenihan, formerly of Blackburn Rovers, is a free agent after being released by Middlesbrough

Darragh Lenihan is available on a free transfer this summer, having been released by Middlesbrough.

The defender was only able to make two Championship appearances for Boro this term, thanks to an Achilles injury, and hasn't played since last September.

Despite Lenihan's absence, Kim Hellberg's men reached the play-off final, after Southampton were kicked out, and were beaten by Hull City at Wembley Stadium.

The 32-year-old joined Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022, having previously represented Blackburn Rovers for eight seasons, including one campaign in League One.

Blackburn Rovers transfer verdict emerges as Darragh Lenihan becomes a free agent

Boro released their retained list on Thursday, which confirmed that Lenihan will leave the Riverside Stadium when his contract expires in June, alongside Dan Barlaser, Marcus Forss, Alex Gilbert, Jon McLaughlin, and Sammy Silvera.

Football League World asked our Blackburn fan pundit, Simon Middlehurst, if he would like to see Lenihan back at Ewood Park, or if Rovers should steer clear of him due to his Achilles issues.

Middlehurst told FLW: "As experience levels go, he's definitely up there in the Championship. However, saying that, we have enough injury problems with our defenders, with Scott Wharton and Hayden Carter, who are both inconsistent with their fitness and injuries.

"So, bringing Darragh Lenihan back, who's not really had a strong season with Middlesbrough, not played much due to his injuries, it would just add to it.

"It's probably worth looking elsewhere, looking to bring in someone who's going to be a little bit more consistent with their fitness."

Since Lenihan left Blackburn for Middlesbrough in 2022, the Ewood Park club have narrowly missed out on the play-off spots twice, but they have also endured relegation battles in two of the last three seasons.

Michael O'Neill successfully helped Rovers avoid the drop to League One this term, but he decided to remain as Northern Ireland boss, rather than committing his long-term future to the Lancashire outfit.

Blackburn are subsequently searching for a new manager, which will likely delay transfer decisions, such as whether to re-sign Lenihan following his Boro release.

Blackburn could be better served by avoiding Darragh Lenihan swoop

Lenihan made over 250 appearances for Rovers before joining Boro in 2022, suggesting that he could be a real asset for the Ewood Park outfit once again.

However, thanks to recurring injury struggles, the Ireland international has made just 12 appearances for Middlesbrough across all competitions in the last two seasons, which should make Blackburn wary of reacquiring his services.

Meanwhile, as Middlehurst alluded to, Rovers already have injury-prone defenders among their ranks, including Carter and Wharton.

Carter was able to make just 10 Championship appearances this term, although he did score in clashes with Derby County and Portsmouth.

Similarly, Wharton could only feature in 12 second-tier games, contributing to the fact that Blackburn had a relatively leaky defence, conceding 56 goals in 46 league games.

Therefore, adding Lenihan to the mix would only give them another defender who may be likely to spend more time sidelined than on the pitch, which is far from ideal.