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Sam Allardyce has revealed that he rates Vince Grella as one of the most gifted players on the Blackburn books and backed the Australian to become a star at Ewood Park.

Grella’s first season in English football has seen him plagued by injuries, causing some to question why Blackburn invested four million pounds in bringing him to the Premier League from Italian club Torino.

But he is finally fully fit and was outstanding in the 2-0 win over Wigan on Sunday which has left Blackburn one win away from securing their top flight status for another season.

Allardyce believes Sunday’s display was reward for the Blackburn staff’s decision to be patient with Grella.

“We said we wouldn’t throw Vince back in as quickly as we have in the past, and we’ve been good enough to resist the temptation to make sure he feels 100 percent fit,” the former Bolton and Newcastle boss said.

“Obviously from a match-fitness point of view he’s still a little short but his game against Wigan will lift him because not only did he play a big part in our victory, he came off without any injuries.

“He knows how difficult the Premier League is physically. We’ve not seen the best of his passing abilities yet and the fitter he gets and the more he copes with the pace, the more we’ll see his outstanding passing moves.”

The crucial win over Wigan was vindication for Allardyce’s decision to take his players on a golfing break to at the Gleneagles resort in Scotland.

“Mid-season breaks are an important part of everything I’ve done,” Allardyce said. “It was only Gleneagles – not Dubai or Tenerife. I think they played a lot more relaxed because they had been prepared in the right way.”

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