What does the term ‘cult hero’ mean to you? Perhaps it invokes memories of an honest tryer with wayward shooting but a loveable face. Or that surly bloke from the continent who only stayed for a season but scored the winner against your local rivals that one time. Or even that ridiculously talented bit-part player whose omission from the side you always resented the manager for. The characteristics that qualify a player as a cult hero are plentiful, diverse and often intangible; and, in recognition of these life-affirming souls, Sport.co.uk picks three Blackburn Rovers players who once graced Ewood Park yet live on in the hearts of those who follow Sam Allardyce’s men, wherever they may be…
Simon Garner – The definitive cult hero, not to mention the definitive Blackburn cult hero. As well as being the protagonist in any number of fallings out and practical jokes, Garner reportedly drank and smoked every day of his life but still gave 100% whenever he pulled on the blue and white jersey. With 194 goals in 484 games, he is the club’s all-time leading scorer ahead of Alan Shearer, whose 112 goals in 138 games looks a bit flimsy now.
Alas, Garner was not cut out for the modern game, with all its carbohydrates and mineral water, and he left the club in 1992, not knowing that some of the club’s greatest moments lay just ahead.
Greatest moment: It should be a goal, but it’s hard to top the sight of Garner nervously puffing his way through a 20-deck in the stands during the play-off final victory over Leicester City.
Tugay Kerimoglu – The elegant Turkish midfielder is neck and neck with Brad Friedel as Blackburn’s player of the decade for the noughties. However, unlike Friedel, Tugay did not often pick up plaudits outside of Ewood Park, thus qualifying him as another truly great Blackburn cult hero.
Tugay was named as one of the best ball-playing midfielders in Europe by none other than Gheorge Hagi and, all in all, he spent eight years at the club before hanging his boots up last year. Legend has it that he was once ejected by ground staff for smoking a cigarette; Garner would have been proud.
Greatest moment: That 25-yard volley against Tottenham Hotspur, closely followed by the 35-yarder against Basle and his sublime strike in the 7-1 win over West Ham United, the latter of which was his first for the club.
Robbie Savage – As a player, the Welsh midfielder was not even close to being in the same class as Tugay but he was a galvanising presence both on and off the pitch. His popularity with Rovers fans was evidenced by the standing ovation they gave him when he returned to Ewood Park with Derby County and, despite his limitations (and leather trousers), he was valued by his team-mates too.
Benni McCarthy said ahead of his return with the Rams in 2008: "We miss his spirit and commitment even though technically he is the worst player I have ever seen in my life - and he knows it. He has no skill at all. We all have more skill than him. But he works awfully hard for the team and it makes us work even harder. Even when the chips were down, he always seemed to make everyone laugh - including the manager.
"He had a dig at everyone and that is the part we miss the most. Sav is a fantastic boy and the dressing room has gone awfully quiet since he left. It is still exciting, it is fun - but Stinky is not there.”
Good old Stinky and his kecks of leather.
Greatest moment: Pretty much any time he got hit in the face by a ball, opponent or even referee. A lot of people would love to punch Savage, but that still doesn’t explain how these accidental comedy blows could happen repeatedly to the same player!
And finally, one for the future:
Martin Olsson – The new Tugay or the new Morten Gamst Pedersen? We shall see…