Former Hibs managerial candidate Jon Dahl Tomasson unveiled as new Blackburn Rovers boss

Former Hibs managerial candidate Jon Dahl Tomasson has been appointed as Tony Mowbray’s replacement at Blackburn Rovers.

The 45-year-old ex-Malmo boss has signed a three-year deal at Ewood Park to replace Mowbray, who left last month.

Tomasson was interviewed for the Hibs job this summer and was the preferred candidate in the eyes of many fans in a two-horse race which was won in the end by Lee Johnson.

"I'm really proud and excited to be taking over as head coach of Blackburn Rovers – a club with a lot of tradition and also great ambition," said the former Denmark and AC Milan striker, who will be joined by new assistant coach Remy Reijnierse and performance director Ben Rosen.

"We have a young team here, and also a great academy, and the owners have a clear vision, which is to develop players and become a sustainable Premier League club over time, so I'm really happy to be involved in this exciting new chapter for the club.

"Since leaving Malmo, I have been looking for the right club and I had a lot of options, but after speaking to Steve (Waggott, chief executive) and Gregg (Broughton, director of football) I got a really good feeling about the club and I knew that I had found my next opportunity.

"I grew up watching English football, so I know all about the passion for football here and how special football fans are in England, so it's great to come to such a big club as Blackburn Rovers and to be involved with such passionate fans and in a really good league, which the Championship is.

"It will be a great challenge, but it's something I'm really looking forward to being a part of."

One-time Hibs candidate Jon Dahl Tomasson has taken over at Blackburn Rovers. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Former Newcastle, Feyenoord and AC Milan forward Tomasson was appointed Malmo boss in January 2020 and won successive Swedish league titles before leaving the club at the start of this year.

He previously coached Dutch clubs Excelsior and Roda JC and was assistant manager of Vitesse Arnhem and the Denmark national team.\

Blackburn finished eighth in the second tier English Championship last season, six points outside the play-off places.

Chief executive Steve Waggott tsaid: “It has been a long process, but we are really pleased to have eventually secured the services of such a young and ambitious coach in Jon.”