GARY Bowyer believes Blackburn Rovers should use Swansea City as an example in their efforts to rebuild the club.

Bowyer is firmly focused on Sunday’s Championship clash with Wolves at Ewood Park.

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However Swansea, having been paired with his Rovers side in Monday’s FA Cup draw, are still very much in his thoughts.

But it is not the forthcoming fourth-round tie between the teams that is on his mind.

It is more the rise the Welsh club have enjoyed under a succession of managers who all bought into the club’s footballing philosophy.

Only a hat-trick from former Rovers youngster James Thomas stopped Swansea City from dropping out of the Football League in 2003, as they flirted with relegation to the Conference on the final day of the season.

A decade ago, the Swans were still in the bottom tier of English football.

Rovers, in contrast, were set to embark on another fondly remembered Premier League era.

Since then the Liberty Stadium outfit, through the leadership of Kenny Jackett, Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers, have risen through the leagues and, having won one final promotion in 2012, are now regarded as one of the most well-run top-flight clubs.

That is a status that befitted Blackburn Rovers before its ownership changed hands a little over four years ago.

What followed was the most tumultuous period in the club’s history.

Bowyer, over the past 20 months, has done much to bring stability back to Rovers.

It is now his task to progress the club further with the aim of getting it back into the Premier League and taking on the likes of Swansea again.

“They are an example of a club that this club should strive to be like again,” said the Rovers boss.

“We were once held in that regard as a well-run club with an infrastructure and a way of going about recruiting and a way of going about playing.

“Then we lost our way, which has been well documented, but if you look at Swansea in terms of the structure they’ve got in place and the philosophy they’ve got in place, that doesn’t just happen overnight.

“When was Roberto Martinez last manager there? 2006? 2007? That’s what I mean, look at how long it has taken Swansea to put everything in place. We’ve only been at it 18 months.

“Someone once told me about playing football that it’s easier to destroy than it is to create. And I think it’s much the same as building a football club.

“Now we’ve got to try and rebuild it but it’s going to take time.

“That’s why I’ve always said it’s going to take three, four or five windows.

“This is now my fourth window and come the fifth window, in the summer, the club should be in an even better position.”

Rovers will be prevented from paying fees for new players in the January transfer window after failing Financial Fair Play (FFP).

But the rules of the club’s FFP transfer embargo will not stop them from making free transfers and also loan signings, provided their squad contains fewer than 24 ‘established’ players.

‘Established’ players are those aged 21 or above on June 30, 2014 who have made at least five first-team starts for their current clubs.

Josh Morris’ loan move to Fleetwood Town, which was confirmed yesterday, means Bowyer now has 23 ‘established’ players.

Therefore he will be able to bring in at least one new addition this month.