Former Norwich City manager Paul Lambert has announced he intends to leave Championship strugglers Blackburn Rovers at the end of the current season.

Lambert, who led Norwich to two consecutive promotions to the Premier League and kept the club in the top flight before leaving for Aston Villa in acrimonious circumstances in 2012, only signed a two-and-a-half year deal at Ewood Park in November 2015.

The Scot has activated a release clause in his contract and will step down following Rovers' final game of the season against Reading on Saturday May 7.

'I would like to place on record my thanks to the owners, and especially the players, staff and fans for the tremendous backing and support I have received since I arrived,' he said, in a statement released on Rovers' official site on Thursday afternoon. 'It's a brilliant club, with great people, and I wish it every success in the future. For now, I remain fully focused and determined to try to win the final two games of the season, starting this Saturday against Rotherham.'

The Scot had publicly voiced his frustration recently at failing to get assurances regarding potential investment in his current squad from the club's owners to try and launch a promotion push next season. Lambert has won 10 of his 31 games in charge of Rovers, who are currently 10 points clear of the already relegated bottom three ahead, of the final two league fixtures.

Lambert was previously out of the game for nine months after ending a sour spell at Aston Villa, where he was replaced by Tim Sherwood in February 2015.