Former Norwich City midfielder Elliott Bennett admits he has to raise his game to prove he can cut it at new club Blackburn.

Bennett was on the losing side for Paul Lambert's team in Wednesday's 1-0 Championship defeat at Derby, with the honest 27-year-old conceding he is still looking to get back to his best after limited game-time towards the end of his Norwich career and a long-term knee injury.

Bennett, who had a loan spell in the Championship at Bristol City earlier this season before cutting his ties with the Canaries, has so far played ten games for Rovers and was again deployed in a more attacking, advanced role against the Rams.

'I have quite a lot of freedom playing in that position, just off the front, but to be honest I enjoy playing anywhere when the team wins. That is the most important thing,' he said.

'I am not a liar, I won't kid on to anyone. Since I have signed here I have not played at the level I would like to have played. I have been disappointed with the way I have been playing but that is football. You go through ups and downs and early on in the season I thought I was doing quite well on loan at Bristol City. I would then have the odd dip and maybe I have had a mini dip here and I am coming out of it here now. It is all about training as hard as you can and then putting yourself in the frame for the manager to pick you.'

Bennett rejects the notion his patchy recent form could be down to swapping Norfolk for Blackburn.

He said: 'I don't like to make excuses, my job is to play as well as I can but when you move of course there is a lot that goes with that, away from the pitch. Do I think I have been playing well? Not as much as I would liked to have done,' he told Rovers' official site. 'Sometimes it can take a while to get used to the new surroundings, but we have a really good bunch on and off the pitch, which is important when you first come into a dressing room. You need to add that quality to the endeavour we have got and I am sure we can have success here.'