JONATHAN Walters has an extra incentive in wanting to help Wanderers progress past Sunderland in the FA Cup - a return to his former club Blackburn Rovers writes Richard Mulligan

The 19-year-old signed from Rovers in the summer after failing to make a first team appearance for Graeme Souness' team.

He felt he was never given a chance at Ewood Park, with Souness always looking to spend millions on forwards while Walters was left kicking his heels.

Last year the Scot signed both Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, further reducing Walters' prospects of breaking into the first team - he was already behind Matt Jansen, Egil Ostenstad and Ciccio Grabbi in the pecking order.

Walters became increasingly frustrated, especially when he heard tales of first team involvement from Wanderers trainees who attended the same college course as himself in Preston.

So when Sam Allardyce showed interest in the summer, Walters was keen to move down the road.

Walters said: "I knew I would be given a chance because the Wanderers lads were getting experience with the first team.

"It made me wonder why things were not the same at Blackburn.

"Graeme Souness just kept buying and buying players and they did not really give me a chance. Every now and then I made the reserves but that was it.

"I knew that Sam Allardyce was different so I was keen to come here. As soon as I came here I was thrown straight in with the first team. It was brilliant.

"It is a big incentive to beat Sunderland for me, it would be brilliant to go back there to Blackburn."

Walters has made the Wanderers bench on four occasions in the Premiership, and started the Worthington Cup game against Bury.

He came on as an 82nd minute substitute against Fulham on Saturday, and is now hoping for the opportunity to shine at the Stadium of Light, just as fellow fringe players Danny Livesey, Jeff Smith and Nicky Hunt did at the Reebok last week.

Walters believes Allardyce should be applauded for his use of the full squad when it comes to the cup competitions as it helps young players to bridge the first team gap.

He added: "It is brilliant that Sam uses the FA Cup to look at his squad. People should not really give him stick because he is giving the future of football a chance.

"If clubs just keep on buying people from outside then no one will ever come through the youth ranks.

"I am prepared to be patient at the moment for my first team chances. I have just got to keep working hard, and maybe I will get my chance - hopefully at Sunderland.

"The manager put a second team out in the first game because he wants to concentrate on the league, so who knows?

"I enjoyed the run out on Saturday but you can't really do that much in the last ten minutes. I was disappointed I didn't get any chances or shots on goal. But I did as much as I could.

"I am patient because I know I have got a lot to learn, but as a striker I think I have good movement and am good at holding the ball up.

"Every chance I get I'm learning more and more, so hopefully one day I will be started in a Premiership match."