Harry Pickering still has two years remaining on his contract at Ewood Park but that could change this summer
Blackburn Rovers will be looking to go one better in the Championship next season after finishing seventh in Jon Dahl Tomasson’s first season at the club, and they’ve got the nucleus of a good young squad who look to be going places.
One player that Rovers are wanting to focus on this summer is Harry Pickering, who has had a solid two years as a Blackburn player since his move from Crewe Alexandra in League One.
How did Harry Pickering perform in the 2022-23 season?
Pickering has been Tomasson’s first-choice left-back – or wing-back on occasion – since he was appointed last summer, appearing 46 times in all competitions for Rovers as they narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs.
Despite being an attack-minded full-back, Pickering notched just two assists all season, but his only goal was a special one when he netted what ended up being voted the club’s goal of the season when he slammed home a counter attack against Sheffield United back in March.
Pickering didn’t exactly rank too favourably on WhoScored though as he was only ranked the 14th-best player at the club in terms of his performance ratings for the 2022-23 Championship season.
What is Harry Pickering’s current situation at Blackburn Rovers?
Pickering joined Blackburn in January 2021 from Crewe on a four-and-a-half year deal, but was immediately loaned back to the Railwaymen for the rest of the 2020-21 season.
That means his deal at Ewood Park runs out in the summer of 2025, but the club are planning on addressing that.
According to a report from Alan Nixon on Patreon, the Rovers hierarchy want to tie the 24-year-old down to a new deal, presumably a long-term one, so that he is contracted a lot longer than he already is.
The likes of Adam Wharton and Hayden Carter have signed contracts until 2027 over the past season, and Pickering could soon follow in their footsteps.
Should Blackburn Rovers extend Harry Pickering’s contract?
The simple answer to this is an obvious yes.
Pickering came into the fold two years ago with a lot to prove in terms of being Championship quality, but he has continued to improve with the more game-time he has gotten.
In his debut campaign, Pickering suffered a few injuries that halted his momentum but he’s cemented his spot in the starting 11 under Jon Dahl Tomasson, although he will perhaps want to be more involved on the attack having had a knack for a few goals and assists when at Crewe.
There’s no need for Blackburn to be looking for a new left-back this summer though to replace Pickering – not only does he have two years left on his current deal but he’s a good player at Championship level and may only get better.
