Ben Brereton Diaz: Villarreal sign ex-Blackburn Rovers striker

Image source, Rex Features

Image caption, Ben Brereton Diaz scored his final Blackburn Rovers goal in their 4-3 comeback win at Millwall on 8 May

Former Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz has joined Spanish La Liga side Villarreal after his contract ended with the Championship club.

The 24-year-old joined Blackburn in January 2019 from Nottingham Forest after a loan spell at Ewood Park.

The Chile international scored 47 goals in 177 Rovers appearances and joins Villarreal on a four-year deal.

Last season he scored nine goals in 43 league appearances as the club missed out on the play-offs.

Having switched allegiance to Chile after coming through England's youth set-up, he unexpectedly spearheaded the South American nation's 2021 Copa America campaign.

Chile narrowly lost to Brazil at the quarter-final stage and in all, Brereton Diaz has scored seven goals in 20 caps.

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