John Eustace asked for a new contract and assurances over investment in the Blackburn Rovers squad before opting to leave for Derby County, it is claimed.

The former Stoke City captain, now aged 45, is reported by the Lancashire Telegraph to have met the Blackburn board as it emerged that Derby were prepared to pay a £500,000 compensation clause to get him in to replace Paul Warne. The Telegraph alleges: “Rovers refused to extend his deal and provide those guarantees. As a result, Eustace has said his goodbyes and will leave Blackburn Rovers.”

Eustace was parachuted into the Blackburn job in January last year as they battled to stay in the Championship. He had been controversially dismissed earlier in the season by new owners at Birmingham City who wanted the glamour of Wayne Rooney - and Blackburn would stay up while Birmingham went down.

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But Jon Dahl Tomasson had suggested that all was not perfect for a manager at Ewood Park when he had left to make way for Eustace and Eustace, in turn, has been linked with various vacancies across the division including Preston North End, Coventry City and Hull City as well as West Bromwich Albion. The fact Mark Robins was available and willing meant the Stoke position did not stay vacant long enough in December for Eustace to come into the equation, at least publicly.

Eustace is willing to leave a team in sixth for a team in 22nd by thinking about more than just the next couple of months.

The Lancashire Telegraph writes: “Whilst Derby are in a far more perilous position, Eustace is understood to have taken a long-term view on the project on offer at Pride Park. The Rams have shown willingness to back the head coach over an extended period and, even if they're relegated, he believes they have an infrastructure that can be successful over several years.

“That is a damning indictment on the Rovers board and the perceived lack of ambition at the club. Though the team sit sixth in the table, they have invested circa £3.5million in the last two transfer windows on permanent additions, having recouped around £30m from the sales of Sam Szmodics and Adam Wharton.”

Supporters' group We Are The Rovers has issued a statement venting their anger at the club's hierarchy, also disputing any contention that there had been support in the transfer market.

It said: “While the club managed to bring in six signings, five of them are contracted only until the end of this season, and the short term nature of them does nothing to allay our long term concerns for the well-being of our club.

“Evidently, John Eustace is of a similar opinion. To lose a manager who has done so much good work to restore some pride and hope to our club is heartbreaking. To lose him from a play-off position to a team currently in the relegation zone is a damning indictment of everything that is wrong with our club.

“There is a massive amount of completely justified anger from our fanbase at present, and fan unrest has been a near constant for the entirety of Venky’s ownership. This is hardly surprising considering the catalogue of disasters we have experienced over the last 14 years.”

Derby take on Gary Rowett's Oxford United at home tonight (7.45pm) and Eustace could be unveiled before then.

They are one point behind fourth-bottom Hull - and four points behind 18th-placed Stoke - with 15 matches remaining, having played one game more. Stoke head to Pride Park on the final day of the season in May.

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