Jason Roberts has backed his club’s Indian owners and current manager.

Blackburn became the first South Asian owned club in the Premiership when Venkey’s chairperson, Anuradha Desai, purchased the club for £43 million in November last year. At the time the group’s director Balaji Rao said the firm intended to “exploit the Indian market in particular, and beyond that, the whole of Asia” to increase the club’s fan base.

The team is currently one point clear of relegation and has eight games left to save its Premiership status. Many believe their decision to sack Sam Allardyce, a month into their reign, is the primary reason the club is teetering on the brink of dropping into the Championship. Venkey’s stated their decision to sack “Big Sam” was taken “as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the club”. (The club was widely derided in their attempt to lure Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho to Lancashire.) Speaking at the recent Lebara British Asian Sports Awards the striker believed some of the media coverage aimed at the group, which was initially set up as poultry firm and has now expanded into other sectors, as “strange”.

He said: “We have a game whereby owners are coming from all over the world and having someone from India is very positive. I for one have welcomed Venkey’s into the English game. They have ambition and that excites me. They are good people who want the best for Blackburn and they deserve as good a chance as anyone else.”

Roberts, who has represented Grenada at international level, believes 40 points would be enough to stay in the Premiership and therefore stop speculation regarding Steve Kean’s future. The Scottish manager has had to endure almost daily reports that his days at Blackburn are numbered. He said: “He is someone the whole club is behind. He has the respect of everyone and all the players want to do well for him.”

More information on Jason Roberts can be found on www.jasonrobertsfoundation.com